An Investigation of Sinkhole Subsidence and its Preventive Measures in Underground Coal Mining

Subsidence is a depression of the ground on the surface due to extraction of minerals from underground coal mines. It occurs in two forms, namely, trough and sinkhole subsidence. Trough subsidence is a depression covering a large surface area whereas sinkhole subsidence is a localized phenomenon occurring due to sudden collapse of overburden into the underground voids. The impact of sinkhole subsidence on the environment can occasionally be very catastrophic, destroying property and even leading to the loss of life. The environmental components can be defined as public health and safety, social relationships, air and water quality, flora and fauna. The paper discusses the causes and Impact of sinkhole subsidence on various environmental aspects. The paper also highlights the researchers who work on different models for risk assessment of sinkhole subsidence, this has been done by using various methods, namely, empirical, semi-empirical, remote sensing & GIS, numerical method and geophysical method to save human life, environment and prevent the loss to property. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.