Evaluation of Groundwater Flow Changes Associated with Drainage within Multilayer Aquifers in a Semiarid Area

In order to evaluate the impact of groundwater drainage on groundwater flow, the Hetaoyu coal field was taken as a case study in the Longdong area, China, where the coal seam was covered with multilayer aquifers. A three-dimensional unsteady groundwater flow model and a one-dimensional fracture water flow model were calculated by joint equations for changing hydrogeological structures under coal mining. According to the results, mine construction had greatly affected groundwater reserves in the Quaternary phreatic aquifer, Cretaceous Huanhe confined aquifer, and Luohe confined aquifer. The groundwater drainage was mainly from the Cretaceous aquifer, in which the aquifer reserves of the Luohe Formation decreased by 30,861.8 m(3)/m, accounting for about 92% of the total changes in local groundwater reserves. A drop funnel with an area of about 2.3 km(2) would be formed under the groundwater discharge of 187.6 m(3)/h for the main inclined shaft excavation of the Hetaoyu coal mine. With the continuation of mining activities, the mine water flow will reach 806.83 m(3)/h and would result in descending funnel area of about 4.5 km(2), the groundwater level drawdown at least 16 m, which would exceed the limited value regulated by the government. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of coal mining and protect groundwater resources, the Hetaoyu Coal Mine departments should take some water loss prevention and control projects to reduce the drawdown of groundwater.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the impact of groundwater drainage on groundwater flow using the Hetaoyu coal field in the Longdong area, China as a case study. The results showed that mine construction significantly affected groundwater reserves, particularly in the Cretaceous aquifer. Continued mining activities would lead to further groundwater level decline, posing challenges to coal mining safety and groundwater resource protection.