Estimating the Geodynamical Conditions of Region of Burning Coal Dumps

This chapter estimate the linkage of burning dumps to boundaries of geodynamically active crust blocks (geodynamically dangerous zones) for subsequent development of recommendations for reducing environmental hazard. Despite the steps being taken, the ecosystem of mining regions continues to be negatively impacted by the spontaneous burning of coal wastes. The hypothesis, which is put forward in the study, holds that coal dumps that are situated at the edges of blocks of crust that are geodynamically active encourage the formation of favorable conditions for the combustion of the waste product. Currently, platforms as well as tectonic activity zones exhibit geodynamically active crust faults that have an impact on engineering facility operation conditions. According to the concept of geodynamical zoning, geodynamically dangerous zones for engineering structures can be not only large, well-developed crust faults, but also just formed fractures that appear as boundaries of geodynamically impacting and hierarchically ordered crust blocks.

The analysis of 27 coal dumps location was made for one of the Eastern Donbass regions (Russia), 16 of which are burning. Nine of the sixteen burning dumps are located in geodynamically hazardous zones, which means that the concentration (pcs/km2) of burning dumps in these zones is 14 times higher than the average value. Since the probability of accidental obtaining of such a result is extremely low, this can be considered as the evidence of the linkage of burning dumps to geodynamically dangerous zones. All geodynamically risky zones can be separated into compression and tension zones based on the strained state of the rock massif in this area. Despite the meager statistics, there are twice as many burning dumps in tension zones as in compression zones. The study revealed that more favorable conditions for the fracture of the dump's insulating course and air intake into its body through cracks caused by traction force occur on the edges of crust blocks with tensile conditions. The thermal monitoring statistics that are currently available for burning dumps in this area also demonstrate the observation of linearly extended firing sources oriented along geodynamically risky zones. The obtained results show that geodynamical conditions of mining region, in which coal dumps are located, is important factor that impacts the creation of conditions for their spontaneous combustion and subsequent impact on the environment. Then this factor should be controlled by choosing the place for dumps location. It is proposed to carry out these works for the entire mining region of the Eastern Donbass, where there are more than 200 coal dumps.