Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River

How to solve the contradiction between coal mining and soil and water conservation is a key scientific issue in the achievement of high-quality development in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. In this paper, the northern Shaanxi mining area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is taken as...

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Main Authors: Shijie Song, Ruilin Niu, Shuai Yang, Xing Cheng, Hao Ruan, Baodeng Chen, Yuanhong Li, Lijun Tang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5684
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author Shijie Song
Ruilin Niu
Shuai Yang
Xing Cheng
Hao Ruan
Baodeng Chen
Yuanhong Li
Lijun Tang
author_facet Shijie Song
Ruilin Niu
Shuai Yang
Xing Cheng
Hao Ruan
Baodeng Chen
Yuanhong Li
Lijun Tang
author_sort Shijie Song
collection DOAJ
description How to solve the contradiction between coal mining and soil and water conservation is a key scientific issue in the achievement of high-quality development in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. In this paper, the northern Shaanxi mining area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is taken as the research area, and the surface loess micro-topography is taken as the entry point. The numerical simulation test and soil loss model calculation are used to reveal the different types of loess natural slope morphology (straight slope, concave slope, convex slope, and composite slope) and the natural slopes (5°, 15°, 25°, 35°, 45°). The influence characteristics and laws of the same mining on the surface loess slope morphology in the coal mining subsidence area are analyzed, and the soil erosion effect on the slope scale is analyzed. The results show that: (1) Coal mining subsidence will lead to an increase in the slope of the loess slope, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the increase in slope. Among them, the influence of coal mining subsidence on the ‘concave loess slope with natural slope of 15°’ is the most significant, and the natural slope of 15° is the key dividing point for the transformation of the sensitive slope shape of the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi. (2) Coal mining subsidence will lead to the decrease in slope length of a loess natural slope, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the decrease in slope length. Among them, coal mining subsidence has the most significant impact on the ‘concave loess slope with a natural slope of 25°’. The natural slope of 25° is the key point of the sudden change rate of the slope length of the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi. (3) Coal mining subsidence will lead to the increase in the soil erosion modulus on the surface loess slope under the scale of ‘annual erosion rainfall’ and ‘typical field erosion rainfall’, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the increase in the soil erosion modulus. The natural slopes of 15° and 25° are the key points of the abrupt change in soil erosion intensity on the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi under the scales of ‘annual erosion rainfall’ and ‘typical erosion rainfall’, respectively. Under the scale of annual erosion rainfall, the increment of the 15° slope was 1.65 times, 1.12 times, 1.11 times, and 1.02 times that of the 5°, 25°, 35°, and 45° slopes, respectively. Under the typical erosion rainfall scale, the increment of the 25° slope was 4.22 times, 1.32 times, 1.04 times, and 1.15 times that of the 5°, 15°, 35°, and 45° slopes, respectively. (4) For the loess subsidence slope with any slope shape, the increase in slope gradient is the main factor for the increase in the soil erosion modulus. Under the annual erosion rainfall scale, the contribution of slope increase was 92.9%. Under the typical erosion rainfall scale, the contribution of slope increase was 79.1%. The research results can provide scientific guidance for soil erosion and control in the northern Shaanxi mining area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin.
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spelling doaj-art-2150081baef245099e88cde391df99eb2025-08-20T03:47:48ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011510568410.3390/app15105684Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow RiverShijie Song0Ruilin Niu1Shuai Yang2Xing Cheng3Hao Ruan4Baodeng Chen5Yuanhong Li6Lijun Tang7College of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaCollege of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaShanxi Satellite Application Technology Center for Natural Resources, Xi’an 710002, ChinaCollege of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaCollege of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaCollege of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaCollege of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, ChinaNingxia Hui Autonomous Region Land and Resources Investigation and Monitoring Institute, Yinchuan 750002, ChinaHow to solve the contradiction between coal mining and soil and water conservation is a key scientific issue in the achievement of high-quality development in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. In this paper, the northern Shaanxi mining area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is taken as the research area, and the surface loess micro-topography is taken as the entry point. The numerical simulation test and soil loss model calculation are used to reveal the different types of loess natural slope morphology (straight slope, concave slope, convex slope, and composite slope) and the natural slopes (5°, 15°, 25°, 35°, 45°). The influence characteristics and laws of the same mining on the surface loess slope morphology in the coal mining subsidence area are analyzed, and the soil erosion effect on the slope scale is analyzed. The results show that: (1) Coal mining subsidence will lead to an increase in the slope of the loess slope, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the increase in slope. Among them, the influence of coal mining subsidence on the ‘concave loess slope with natural slope of 15°’ is the most significant, and the natural slope of 15° is the key dividing point for the transformation of the sensitive slope shape of the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi. (2) Coal mining subsidence will lead to the decrease in slope length of a loess natural slope, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the decrease in slope length. Among them, coal mining subsidence has the most significant impact on the ‘concave loess slope with a natural slope of 25°’. The natural slope of 25° is the key point of the sudden change rate of the slope length of the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi. (3) Coal mining subsidence will lead to the increase in the soil erosion modulus on the surface loess slope under the scale of ‘annual erosion rainfall’ and ‘typical field erosion rainfall’, and the smaller the natural slope, the greater the increase in the soil erosion modulus. The natural slopes of 15° and 25° are the key points of the abrupt change in soil erosion intensity on the loess slope in the coal mining subsidence area of northern Shaanxi under the scales of ‘annual erosion rainfall’ and ‘typical erosion rainfall’, respectively. Under the scale of annual erosion rainfall, the increment of the 15° slope was 1.65 times, 1.12 times, 1.11 times, and 1.02 times that of the 5°, 25°, 35°, and 45° slopes, respectively. Under the typical erosion rainfall scale, the increment of the 25° slope was 4.22 times, 1.32 times, 1.04 times, and 1.15 times that of the 5°, 15°, 35°, and 45° slopes, respectively. (4) For the loess subsidence slope with any slope shape, the increase in slope gradient is the main factor for the increase in the soil erosion modulus. Under the annual erosion rainfall scale, the contribution of slope increase was 92.9%. Under the typical erosion rainfall scale, the contribution of slope increase was 79.1%. The research results can provide scientific guidance for soil erosion and control in the northern Shaanxi mining area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5684soil erosion effectthe morphology of loess slopecoal mining subsidencenumerical simulationmiddle Yellow River
spellingShingle Shijie Song
Ruilin Niu
Shuai Yang
Xing Cheng
Hao Ruan
Baodeng Chen
Yuanhong Li
Lijun Tang
Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
Applied Sciences
soil erosion effect
the morphology of loess slope
coal mining subsidence
numerical simulation
middle Yellow River
title Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
title_full Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
title_fullStr Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
title_short Effects of Coal Mining Subsidence on Loess Slope Morphology and Soil Erosion in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River
title_sort effects of coal mining subsidence on loess slope morphology and soil erosion in the middle reaches of the yellow river
topic soil erosion effect
the morphology of loess slope
coal mining subsidence
numerical simulation
middle Yellow River
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5684
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