Currently, there is a contradiction between coal mining and protection of water resources, meaning that there is a need for an effective method for discriminating the source of mine gushing water. Ningtiaota Coal Mine is a typical and representative main coal mine in the Shennan mining area. Taking this coal mine as an example, the self-organizing feature map (SOM) approach was applied to source discrimination of mine gushing water. Fisher discriminant analysis, water temperature, and traditional hydrogeochemical discrimination methods, such as Piper and Gibbs diagrams, were also employed as auxiliary indicators to verify and analyze the results of the SOM approach. The results from the three methods showed that the source of all the gushing water samples was surface water. This study represents the innovative use of an SOM in source discrimination for the first time. This approach has the advantages of high precision, high efficiency, good visualization, and less human interference. It can quantify sources while also comprehensively considering their hydrogeochemical characteristics, and it is especially suitable for case studies with large sample sizes. This research provides a more satisfactory solution for water inrush traceability, water disaster prevention and control, ecological protection, coal mine safety, and policy intervention.
Mining activities, while promoting social and economic development, alter the environments and ecosystems of mining areas. Some of the alterations have negative impacts on the environment, while some have positive impacts. By understanding the positive and negative impacts related to closed mines in Inner Mongolia, this research aims to seek advantages of the positive impacts on the environment and reduce the harm of the negative impacts, extending the mining value chain. The paper reviewed four main negative environmental impacts (NEIs) of closed mines and proposed four positive environmental impacts (PEIs) which include ecosystem services, cultural services, land resources and underground space resources, and energy sources and mineral resources. The paper focused on the environmental problems and the PEI utilization of closed mines in Inner Mongolia with 20 representative cases. It carefully studied the Minda Mine which is a good example to combine several PEI utilization objectives. Multiple PEI objectives, as well as the correlations among different objectives, can benefit closed mines ecologically, economically, and socially. In addition, a three-step framework for closed mine revitalization and the factors affecting the compound PEI objectives are mentioned in the paper.
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