Repurposing deep closed mines as seismic forecasting research platforms
Abstract view|21|times PDF download|5|times
Abstract
Seismic forecasting remains constrained by surface noise and low spatial resolution, limiting reproducible predictions. Although deep borehole stations and underground laboratories improve conditions, they face high costs, sparse coverage, and narrow disciplinary scope. In this work, the strategic reuse of deep closed mines as seismic forecasting laboratories was evaluated. Closed mines, abundant and deep with extensive tunnels and reusable infrastructure, provide ideal low-noise, near-source environments for scalable observation networks. They can lower construction costs, enable simultaneous monitoring of natural and induced earthquakes, and support comparative studies of source mechanisms and forecasting methods. Key challenges include processing massive data volumes, integrating multi-source information, and ensuring equipment reliability in harsh environments. Future directions emphasize building three-dimensional, multiphysics monitoring networks, advancing interdisciplinary and international collaboration, and developing an integrated “observation–warning–prevention” platform. Repurposing closed mines not only expands underground space utilization but also offers a potential paradigm shift in seismic monitoring, providing a novel pathway to overcome longstanding forecasting bottlenecks.
Document Type: Perspective
Cited as: Li, P., Tang, C., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Gorjian, M., Cai, M. Repurposing deep closed mines as seismic forecasting research platforms. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 18(1): 1-6. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.10.01
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Bantidi, T. M., Nishimura, T., Ishibe, T., et al. Variability of ETAS parameters and their relationship with physical processes for earthquake forecasting in Africa. Earth, Planets, and Space, 2025, 77: 29.
Foulger, G. R., Wilson, M. P., Gluyas, J. G., et al. Global review of human-induced earthquakes. Earth-Science Reviews, 2018, 178: 438-514.
Freund, F., Ouillon, G., Scoville, J., et al. Earthquake precursors in the light of peroxy defects theory: Critical review of systematic observations. The European Physical Journal Special Topics, 2021, 230: 7-46.
Gusman, A. R., Tanioka, Y. Atmospheric lamb wave inversion from the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption for tsunami prediction. Geoscience Letters, 2025, 12: 32.
He, M. C., Cheng, T., Qiao, Y. F., et al. A review of rockburst: Experiments, theories, and simulations. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2023, 15(5): 1312-1353.
Kaushal, A., Gupta, A. K., Sehgal, V. K. Earthquake prediction optimization using deep learning hybrid RNN-LSTM model for seismicity analysis. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 2025, 195: 109432.
Li, Y. Spatial distribution of strain energy changes due to mining-induced fault coseismic slip: Insights from a rockburst at the yuejin coal mine, China. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 2025, 58: 1693-1706.
Ma, R., Gao, J., Guan, C., et al. Coal mine closure substantially increases terrestrial water storage in China. Communications Earth & Environment, 2024, 5: 418.
Mastella, G., Corbi, F., Bedford, J., et al. Forecasting surface velocity fields associated with laboratory seismic cycles using deep learning. Geophysical Research Letters, 2022, 49: e2022GL099632.
Milliner, C., Avouac, J. P., Dolan, J. F., et al. Localization of inelastic strain with fault maturity and effects on earthquake characteristics. Nature Geoscience, 2025, 18: 793-800.
Scholz, C. H., Sykes, L. R., Aggarwal, Y. P. Earthquake prediction: A physical basis. Science, 1973, 181(4102): 803-810.
Xiong, W., Chen, W., Wang, D., et al. Coseismic slip and early afterslip of the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo, China earthquake constrained by GPS and InSAR data. Tectonophysics, 2022, 840: 229558.
Zhang, V. Embodying industrial transitions: Melancholy loss, interrupted habit and transitional memory after the end of a coal mine. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 2025, 50: e12672.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.10.01
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.