Geomorphological changes associated with underground coal mining in the Fushun area, northeast China revealed by multitemporal satellite remote sensing data

Abstract

Fushun is a famous coal-mining city in northeastern China with more than 100 years of history. Long-term underground coal mining has caused serious surface subsidence in the eastern part of the city. In this study, multitemporal and multisource satellite remote sensing data were used to detect subsidence and geomorphological changes associated with underground coal mining over a 10-year period (1996–2006). A digital elevation model (DEM) was generated through Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry processing using data from a pair of European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS) SAR images acquired in 1996. In addition, a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM obtained from data in 2000 and an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) DEM from 2006 were used for this study. The multitemporal DEMs indicated that the maximum vertical displacement due to subsidence was around 13 m from 1996 to 2006. Multitemporal ASTER images showed that the flooded water area associated with subsidence had increased by 1.73 km² over the same time period. Field investigations and ground level measurements confirmed that the results obtained from the multitemporal remote sensing data agreed well with ground truth data. This study demonstrates that DEMs derived from multisource satellite remote sensing data can provide a powerful tool to map geomorphological changes associated with underground mining activities.

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project. ERS data were provided by the European Space Agency under CAT-1 project 4237. SRTM DEM data were downloaded from the CGIAR-CSI website, and ASTER data were provided by ERSDAC, Japan. InSAR processing was performed using DORIS InSAR software. The ground level measurements were provided by the Liaoning Earthquake Administration and Fushun Subsidence Office.