The hydrogeological conditions of coal mines in China are quite complex, and water inrush accidents occur frequently with disastrous consequences during coal extraction. Among them, the risk of coal mining under a river is the highest due to the high water transmissivity and lateral charge capacity of the unconfined aquifer under the river. The danger of mining under a river requires the accurate determination of the developmental mechanisms of the water flowing fractured zone (WFFZ) and the water flow mechanisms influenced by the specific geological conditions of a coal mine. This paper first used the transient electromagnetic (TEM) method to monitor the development of the WFFZ and the water flow mechanisms following the mining of a longwall face under a river. The TEM survey results showed that the middle Jurassic coarse sandstone aquifer and the K_lzh unconfined aquifer were the main aquifers of the 8101 longwall panel, and the WFFZ reached the aquifers during the mining process. Due to the limited water reserves in the dry season, the downward flowing water mainly came from the lateral recharge in the aquifer. The water inrush mechanisms of the 8101 longwall panel in Selian No.1 Coal mine were analyzed based on the water flow mechanisms of the aquifer and the numerical simulation results. This provides theoretical and technical guidance to enact safety measures for mining beneath aquifers.

Mine floods caused by water-bearing collapse columns are one of the most significant types of coal mine disasters in advanced detection. The transient electromagnetic method (TEM), one of the most effective means, can detect the collapse column in coal mines. However, the research on TEM used on the ground is mainly limited to half-space that does not follow underground mining conditions. This research used the whole-space TEM to detect the water-bearing collapse columns in front of the roadway. Based on the time-domain finite element method (TDFEM) and actual coal-measure strata data, this paper built the whole-space geo-electric models, summarized response characteristics, and proposed “geometric gravity center” effect. The results showed that the simulation based on TDFEM could accurately reflect the TEM response law, and the advanced detection using TEM in a mine environment was consistent with the actual situation.

Precise prediction of coal thickness is of the utmost importance in realizing intelligent and unmanned mining. As the channel wave is characterized by an easily recognizable waveform, a long propagation distance, and strong energy, it is widely used for coal thickness inversion. However, most traditional inversion methods are local in nature, and the inversion result is probably not optimal in the global scope. This paper introduces the GA-SIRT hybrid approach, which combines Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Simultaneous Iterative Reconstructive Techniques (SIRT) in order to deal with the above problem and to improve the accuracy of coal thickness inversion. The proposed model takes full advantage of the strong global search capability of GA and of the fast local convergence rate of the SIRT. Moreover, it inhibits the poor local search ability and the local optimal value effect of the GA and the SIRT respectively. The application of the GA-SIRT in the Guoerzhuang coal mine has significantly enhanced its accuracy, stability, and overall computational efficiency. Hence, the introduced novel hybrid model can precisely resolve and identify the coal thickness according to the channel wave. It can also be extended to other geophysical tomographic inversion problems towards the reduction of potential local optimal solutions.

The issue of water hazards has led to the restriction of safe and efficient coal mine production in China. The transient electromagnetic method (TEM) is one of the most effective means of detecting the hidden dangers of water hazards in coal mines. However, the current understanding of the whole-space transient electromagnetic response of mine water is only on the general law due to the late start of the forward research. Therefore, this paper established multiple sets of simulation models in the whole area in order to study the rules and factors of transient electromagnetic responses. Subsequently, these laws are used to explain the detection data of TEM in the field. According to the simulation results, the electric properties, distance, and size had the greatest influence on the transient electromagnetic response of regular anomalous geological bodies, while the electromagnetic field projection area also had an impact on irregular ones. Furthermore, field application demonstrated that the response law and TEM’s affecting factors are acceptable for directing the detection of transient electromagnetic in coal mines. This research can advance the TEM’s data processing and interpretation technology and offer a theoretical basis for detailed investigation.