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Detection of Abandoned Coal Mine Goaf in China’s Ordos Basin Using the Transient Electromagnetic Method

Untersuchung des Alten Mannes in Altbergbauen im Ordos Becken in China mit transienter Elektromagnetik (TEM)

Detección de los hoyos de una mina de carbón abandonada en la Cuenca de Ordos de China mediante el sondeo electromagnético transitorio

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Abstract

Early coal mining and management methods left a large number of unknown goafs in China’s important Ordos Basin, which has restricted the safe production in today’s large-scale mines. The transient electromagnetic (TEM) method is the main geophysical tool used to detect the goaf. We considered the geological conditions of Ordos Basin in studying the optimal working parameters, electromagnetic (EM) interference, and terrain influence. The numerical simulation results of primary and secondary fields show that the most powerful abnormal signal can be obtained for the common 100 m deep goaf of the Ordos Basin by using a loop at least 240 m × 240 m. Time compensation and a polynomial fitting algorithm can be used to separate and weaken the TEM signal’s EM noise. The terrain height difference mainly affects TEM’s depth parameters, which can be modified to correct the topographic influence by considering the lateral continuity of the sedimentary strata. Three successful detection cases show that the study’s results can be used effectively in the Ordos Basin.

Zusammenfassung

Frühere Abbauverfahren und Managementmethoden im Kohlenbergbau haben in Chinas wichtigem Ordosbecken unbekannten Alten Mann in großer Zahl hinterlassen, der die sichere Produktion der heutigen großen Bergbaue einschränkt. Die transiente Elektromagnetik (TEM) ist das wichtigste geophysikalische Hilfsmittel zur Untersuchung des Alten Mannes. Wir berücksichtigten die geologischen Bedingungen des Ordos-Beckens bei der Untersuchung der optimalen Betriebsparameter, der elektromagnetischen (EM) Störungen und des Geländeeinflusses. Die numerischen Simulationsergebnisse der primären und sekundären Felder zeigen, dass das stärkste anormale Signal für den gewöhnlich 100 m tiefen Alten Mann des Ordos-Beckens erhalten werden kann, wenn eine Schleife von mindestens 240 m × 240 m verwendet wird. Zeitkompensation und ein polynomischer Anpassungsalgorithmus können verwendet werden, um das EM-Rauschen des TEM-Signals zu trennen und abzuschwächen. Der Geländehöhenunterschied wirkt sich hauptsächlich auf die Tiefenparameter des TEM aus, die modifiziert werden können, um den topographischen Einfluss zu korrigieren, indem die laterale Kontinuität der Sedimentschichten berücksichtigt wird. Drei erfolgreiche Nachweisfälle zeigen, dass die Ergebnisse der Studie im Ordos-Becken effektiv genutzt werden können.

瞬变电磁法探测中国鄂尔多斯盆地废弃采空区

早期煤炭开采和管理在中国鄂尔多斯盆地留下了大量未知采空区, 制约着当今大型煤矿安全生产。瞬变电磁法是探测采空区的主要地球物理方法。在研究瞬变电磁法最佳运行参数, 电磁干扰和地形影响时, 考虑了鄂尔多斯盆地的地质条件。一次场和二次场数值模拟结果表明, 至少采用240m × 240m回路才能获取鄂尔多斯盆地多数100m深废弃采空区的最强异常信号。采用时间补偿和多项式拟合算法分离和减弱瞬变电磁信号的噪声。地形高差主要影响瞬变电磁深度参数, 通过考虑沉积地层侧向连续性的方法修正地形影响。三个瞬变电磁成功勘探实例表明研究结果能够有效地应用于鄂尔多斯盆地其它地区。

Resumen

Los primeros métodos de explotación y gestión del carbón dejaron un gran número de hoyos desconocidos en la importante cuenca de Ordos de China, lo que ha restringido la producción segura en las minas de gran escala que hay en la actualidad. El sondeo electromagnetismo transitorio (TEM) es la principal herramienta geofísica utilizada para detectar los hoyos. Consideramos las condiciones geológicas de la Cuenca de Ordos al estudiar los parámetros de trabajo óptimos, la interferencia electromagnética (EM) y la influencia del terreno. Los resultados de la simulación numérica de los campos primarios y secundarios muestran que la señal anormal más potente puede obtenerse para el hoyo común de 100 m de profundidad de la Cuenca de Ordos utilizando un bucle de al menos 240 m × 240 m. Puede utilizarse la compensación de tiempo y un algoritmo de ajuste polinómico para separar y debilitar el ruido EM de la señal TEM. La diferencia de altura del terreno afecta principalmente a los parámetros de profundidad de TEM, que pueden modificarse para corregir la influencia topográfica considerando la continuidad lateral de los estratos sedimentarios. Tres casos exitosos de detección muestran que los resultados del estudio pueden ser usados efectivamente en la Cuenca de Ordos.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the anonymous reviewers and editors for their helpful comments. This work was jointly funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC0804105), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M653523), National Natural Science Foundation of China (41974162), Natural Science Youth Fund of Shaanxi (2020JQ-995), and Special Fund Project for Technology Innovation of Tian Di Science & Technology Co., Ltd (2020-TD-QN011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Corp., Xi’an Research Institute Co. Ltd., Xi’an, 710077, Shaanxi, China

    Peng Wang, Qing Wang, Yi Wang & Cheng Wang

  2. China Coal Research Institute, Beijing, 100013, China

    Peng Wang

  3. School of Geology Engineering and Geomatics, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Peng Wang

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  1. Peng Wang
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  2. Qing Wang
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  4. Cheng Wang
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Correspondence to Peng Wang.

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Wang, P., Wang, Q., Wang, Y. et al. Detection of Abandoned Coal Mine Goaf in China’s Ordos Basin Using the Transient Electromagnetic Method. Mine Water Environ 40, 415–425 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-020-00724-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-020-00724-4

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