High-resolution remote sensing-based dynamic monitoring of coal mine collapse areas in southwestern Guizhou: A case study of coal mine collapse areas in Liupanshui City

Southwestern China suffers frequent geological disasters. The exploitation of mineral resources in southwestern China is highly liable to induce geological disasters and related secondary disasters. This study investigated the remote sensing-based dynamic monitoring technology for coal mine collapse areas in the coal mining concentration areas in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province. Based on the high-resolution remote sensing images, this study established remote sensing geological interpretation symbols of coal mine collapse areas in the mountainous plateau of southwestern Guizhou and then dynamically monitored the geological disasters in Liupanshui from 2009 to 2018. Moreover, this study analyzed the present geological disasters in the study area. The remote sensing interpretation revealed that geological disasters in the study area were significantly aggravated over the years. Compared with 2009, 2018 witnessed an increase of 167% in the geological disasters, including 40% of new geological disaster areas and 34% of areas with deteriorated geological disasters. According to the geological disaster degrees in the study area, this study identified four geological disaster concentration areas, which were highly consistent with the mining concentration areas in the study area. Based on the remote sensing data, this study analyzed the types of land damaged by geological disasters in mines and investigated possible resulting damage to the people and the ecological environment in the study area. The results show that disasters that severely damaged land caused the largest damage area for forest and cultivated lands, which had a total number of 193 and a total area of about 333.55 hm². There are 360 areas with potential hazards in the study area, covering an area of 506.36 hm². They are dominated by 126 threats to roads, which cover an area of 110.04 hm². The results of this study can provide a reliable data reference and a critical research approach for restoring the local ecological environment and controlling geological disasters in mines. Moreover, based on the characteristics of the study area, this study further analyzed the causes of the geological disasters in mines, explored the geological disaster control schemes, and proposed countermeasures and suggestions.