An Approach to Detect Local Tectonic Dislocations in Coal Seams Based on Roughness Analysis

The occurrence of faults in coal seams has an impact on the possibility of methane hazard. There are several methods for identifying tectonic faults, but they cannot be applied directly to solve dynamic hazard problems in coal mine. Thus, searching for appropriate methods, that can detect faults in regional and local scales is needed. In order to meet this need, the paper proposes a new measurement method of estimating changes to the coal structure, based on profilometry measurements (roughness analysis) and application of madogram functions. based on examining coal samples from near fault zones it was shown that the proposed approach allows us to detect changes of the coal surface that appear as the distance to a tectonic fault gets shorter. The proposed method, due to its simplicity and speed of measurement, implies a potential for practical application in the process of detecting local tectonic dislocations in coal mines.