Distinguishing between faults and coal collapse columns based on sediment dating: a case study of the Huainan coal field, China

摘要

Coal collapse columns are special geologic structures developed in the coal fields in North China. Water bursting related to the columns is characterized by large flow rates and is difficult to be predicted. In some cases, it is difficult to distinguish coal collapse columns and faults. Here, we propose a method based on sediment dating combined with borehole drilling and geophysical surveys. By application of the method to the Guqiao coal mine in the Huainan coal field, we recognized a significant offset of the Quaternary units around a geologic structure, and inferred that it cannot result from coal collapse columns but by faulting, and determined the ages of the faults.