This research attempts to characterize the main factors influencing well or aquifer dewatering and aquifer contamination potential in subsiding environments, examine their effect, quantify their magnitude in advance of mining and propose methods to mitigate undesirable effects. Previous work has illustrated that strata dewatering above longwall mines is controlled by the deformation and fracturing patterns induced by ground subsidence above the panel. Hydraulic conductivity and storage changes may be represented by simple physical models and used in numerical models to determine dewatering potential a priori. It is proposed to extend this work to determine transient behavior and provide a logical extension in defining changes to water quality.
