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Assessment of Abandoned Coal Mines as Urban Reservoirs

Bewertung von stillgelegten Kohlebergwerken zur Nutzung als städtische Speicher

Evaluación de minas de carbón abandonadas como reservorios urbanos

闭坑煤矿用作城市地下水库

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Abstract

The closure of many coal mines has resulted in many being used as massive underground mine water storage systems in urban areas. We used a comprehensive fuzzy method to assess the suitability of abandoned coal mines as underground reservoirs. Five first-level and four second-level indices were chosen based on the hydrogeological conditions. The degree of membership of each index was determined and quantitatively graded into suitability grades of I–V using a trapezoidal fuzzy number membership function. The weight of each index was determined in accordance with information entropy. Abandoned mines in Xuzhou city were examined as a case study. The degree of suitability of the water in 14 abandoned mines was assessed. Six of the abandoned mines earned a suitability grade of I and II and should be given priority. The evaluation of abandoned mines as underground reservoirs provides a new means to potentially secure an emergency water supply in urban settings.

Zusammenfassung

Die Schließung vieler Kohlebergwerke führte dazu, dass viele als unterirdische Wasserspeicher in städtischen Gebieten genutzt wurden. Mittels Fuzzy-Methode wurde die Eignung von stillgelegten Kohlebergwerken als Untergrundspeicher bewertet. Basierend auf den hydrogeologischen Bedingungen wurden fünf Indizes der ersten und vier Indizes der zweiten Ebene ausgewählt. Der Grad der Zugehörigkeit jedes Index wurde unter Verwendung einer trapezoiden Fuzzy-Zahl-Zugehörigkeitsfunktion bestimmt und quantitativ in Eignungsgrade von I bis V eingeteilt. Die Wichtung jedes Index wurde unter Berücksichtigung des Informationsgehaltes bestimmt. Die stillgelegten Bergwerke in der Stadt Xuzhou wurden in einer Fallstudie untersucht. Der Eignungsgrad des Wassers in 14 stillgelegten Bergwerken wurde bewertet. Sechs der stillgelegten Bergwerke wurden mit einem Eignungsgrad von I und II bewertet und sollten bevorzugt werden. Die Bewertung von stillgelegten Bergwerken als Untergrundspeicher liefert ein neues Mittel zur Sicherung der Notwasserversorgung städtischer Gebiete.

Resumen

El cierre de muchas minas de carbón ha dado lugar a que muchas se utilicen como sistemas masivos de almacenamiento subterráneo de agua en las zonas urbanas. Utilizamos un método difuso exhaustivo para evaluar la idoneidad de las minas de carbón abandonadas como depósitos subterráneos. Se eligieron cinco índices de primer nivel y cuatro de segundo nivel en función de las condiciones hidrogeológicas. El grado de membresía de cada índice se determinó y calificó cuantitativamente en grados de idoneidad de I a V utilizando una función de membresía difusa trapezoidal. El peso de cada índice se determinó de acuerdo con información entrópica. Las minas abandonadas en la ciudad de Xuzhou se examinaron como un caso de estudio. Se evaluó el grado de idoneidad del agua en 14 minas abandonadas. Seis de las minas abandonadas obtuvieron una calificación de idoneidad de I y II y se les debe dar prioridad. La evaluación de minas abandonadas como depósitos subterráneos proporciona un nuevo medio para proteger potencialmente un suministro de agua de emergencia en entornos urbanos.

抽象

众多已闭坑煤矿在城市周边形成了大规模地下水存储系统。利用模糊综合分析法评价了废弃矿井构建地下水库的适宜性。基于地质条件分析,选取了5个一级和4个二级评价因子。利用梯形模糊隶属度函数,确定了各指标的隶属度,定量地将其分为I~V适应度等级;依据信息熵确定了各指标的权重。以徐州为例,分析了14座废弃煤矿作为地下水库的适宜性。六座废弃煤矿被评为I和II级适宜度,应优先考虑开发利用。废弃煤矿构建城市地下水库为城市应急供水提供了新途径。

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial supported by NSFC (U1710253), the Project Funded by the Urban Geological Survey of Xuzhou, and the Key Research and Development Plan (Guide) project of Shanxi (201603D321003).

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Correspondence to Yajun Sun.

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Liu, Q., Sun, Y., Xu, Z. et al. Assessment of Abandoned Coal Mines as Urban Reservoirs. Mine Water Environ 38, 215–225 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-019-00588-3

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