Using bore-hole electrical resistivity tomography to monitor the working face roof water infiltration

Abstract Roof water inrush in coal mining is a significant type of water-related disaster, usually resulting from the interconnection of water-bearing geological formations formed by cracks during and after working face mining. Therefore, monitoring the roof water infiltration is of paramount importance in preventing or mitigating water inrush incidents in the working face. This study employs the borehole resistivity tomography imaging method to conduct physical experiments for water seepage monitoring in the roof cracks generated during coal model mining. Additionally, roof monitoring was performed in the 7130 working face of Qidong Coal Mine. The results of both physical experiments and field tests demonstrate that borehole resistivity tomography is well-suited for monitoring water infiltration in the roof of the working face, enabling determination of the temporal and spatial distribution of water seepage. By analyzing the variation patterns of low-resistivity anomalies in the resistivity profile, the water-bearing zones can be delineated, and the water-conducting channels and water outflow points can be identified. Furthermore, by combining the size of the water-bearing zones, a qualitative assessment of the water content can be achieved.