Effect of coal mining on soil moisture in the semi-arid area based on an improved remote sensing estimation approach

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences 2023-11, Vol.82 (22), p.545-545, Article 545
• Main Authors: Ma, Ting, Tang, Fuquan, Tang, Jingya, Wang, Fei, Li, Pengfei, Yang, Qian, Wang, Shuangming, Jia, Xiaohui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arid regions; Arid zones; Biogeosciences; Coal; Coal mining; Coefficient of variation; Correlation analysis; Cross correlation; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Environmental restoration; Environmental Science and Engineering; Geochemistry; Geology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Land reclamation; land restoration; Methods; Original Article; Precipitation; Remote sensing; Restoration; Retrieval; satellites; Semi arid areas; Semiarid lands; Semiarid zones; Soil; Soil moisture; soil water; Spatial variability; Spatial variations; Subsidence; Terrestrial Pollution; Time lag; Topography; Underground mining; Vegetation
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-023-11245-y

Soil moisture is a critical parameter for land reclamation and ecological restoration in mining subsidence areas. However, limited research has been conducted into the impact of subsidence on soil moisture in semi-arid areas. In this study, the subsidence and soil moisture of four coal seams (4101 and 4102 coal seams are 2-year and 1-year subsidence area, 4103 and 4104 coal seams are just after mining and ready for mining) in semi-arid region were monitored for a year. A soil moisture retrieval method suitable for semi-arid mining areas was improved. The results showed that the reduced Bias, MRE and RMSE difference between satellite and in situ soil moisture to 0.129, 0.0851 and 0.0219, respectively, which demonstrated the reliability of the proposed soil moisture retrieval method in the semi-arid mining areas. We found that there was ecological self-restoration, the degree of spatial variability of soil moisture was gradually weaker with the increased subsidence time by comparing coal seams with different subsidence time. The average value of soil moisture in 4103 and 4104 coal seams decreased by 0.20% and 1.89%, respectively, whereas the coefficient of variation increased by 13.99% and 10.45%, respectively. Window cross-correlation analysis shows underground mining activities have a lag effect. The mean time lag between subsidence and the soil moisture response varied 90 days after the subsidence occurred. But, about 120 days after the end of mining, soil moisture gradually recovers. All these results indicated repair of land cracks in time at subsidence edge can prevent the decline of soil moisture.