A synergetic approach for quantification and analysis of coal fires in Jharia Coalfield, India

Temporal monitoring and understanding of the dynamics of coal fires in the Jharia Coalfield (JCF) are required to reduce its effect on sustainable industrial growth, environment & human safety. This research explores temporal dataset of Landsat 8 OLI Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) from 2015 to 2019 to detect, map and quantify coal fire affected areas in JCF at the colliery level. The results indicated that the East Barora, Sijua, Katras, Kusunda, Kustore, Pootkee Balihari, Bastacolla, Jharia, and Lodna are intensely fire-affected collieries with a significant increase in risk area from 4.57 km2 in 2015 to 11.43 km2 in 2019. The central part of the area is highly affected. The extent of coal fire shows temporal fluctuation between 2015 and 2019, but overall exhibit a significant increase from 2.76 km2 to 7.52 km2. Sijua, Katras, Kusunda, Lodna, and Kustor occupying the central and southeastern parts of the JCF, respectively, constitute nearly -85% of the total fire. However, in comparison to the information inferred from the field-based knowledge, the results derived from satellite-based observations are slightly underestimated due to the reason that the coal fire-derived thermal anomalies are the function of depth, intensity and proportion of coal fire in a coarse resolution TIR pixel, structural attributes, interventions from the mining operation and regional land use planning. Further, the risk areas map out using the TIR-based approach have been integrated with the prevailing structural attributes and Landsat 8 OLI-derived surface thermal anomalies, which enabled an understanding of the dynamics of coal fire propagation in JCF.