Effects of mining speed on the developmental features of mining-induced ground fissures

Shallow coal seam exploitation not only causes serious surface subsidence but also induces extensive ground fissures, which severely threaten the safety of underground mining and the surface eco-environment. We use the Daliuta coal mine of the Shendong mining district in China as a case study to investigate and characterize the influence of underground coal mining on the development of ground fissures. A new comprehensive impact parameter K of geology and mining for ground fissure development is introduced to explain the effects of mining speed on the developmental features of ground fissures. The results show that ground fissures often develop in the surface tensile zone ahead of the working face advancing position and show an inverted C-shape on the surface, which is similar to periodic fracturing of the basic roof. The ground fissure angle increases linearly with mining speed and logarithmically with K, while the developmental cycle decreases linearly with mining speed. We propose a technical measure to control ground fissure disasters by adjusting mining speed, which provides a theoretical reference for eco-environmental governance in shallow coal seam mining districts.