Understanding the Mechanism of Strong Mining Tremors near the Goaf Area of Longwall Mining: A Case Study

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper from a scienctific point well strucutred. I have not gone into the detail of the article, I think it can be improved, but the quality is good to very good in the edition and presentation of the information, knowing how well the MDPI editors do their job I do not think there are small errors edition. But I am concerned about how to approach the article in a formal and academic way,  I think several points should be corrected for its publication, :

The abstract does not provide enough context about the importance of the problem addressed in the research. Additional information could be included to highlight the relevance of the study, such as statistics on the frequency of SMTs and their impact on the safety of workers and residents near mines.

While the abstract presents the results of the research, it does not specify how the experiments were carried out or what methods were used to collect the data. A section on the study design could be included to provide more details about the research process.

The abstract could be clearer in presenting the results. For example, the information on the increase in surface settlements before and after the occurrence of SMTs could be presented in a clearer and more organized manner so that readers can better understand the relationship between the different factors that contribute to the occurrence of these events.

about the conclusions: 

Further context and background information regarding the mining tremors being contrasted with the SMT discussed in this article would be beneficial. It is challenging for readers to comprehend the importance of the contrasts noted in the conclusion without this knowledge.

The second conclusion's language could require more clarification because it is a little muddled. It is unclear what is meant specifically by "the fracture and instability stage" and "the deformation energy storage stage." Readers could grasp this conclusion better if further information is provided or if the language is made clearer.

It would be helpful to elaborate on or explain the third conclusion. For instance, it would be beneficial to define "periodic fracturing" and elaborate on how this results in SMT.

By adding more background regarding the "tensile fracture" and "shear fracture" forms of SMT, the fourth conclusion could be made clearer. It would also be beneficial to describe how the disruption of the SMT results in these particular fractures.

Regarding the references, I see a lack of breadth in the search for references, there are 8 self-citations (one of the authors does it 3 times) and a lack of search for references that broadens knowledge about this type of event. I believe that this topic should be improved by including a larger, more international and less inbred bibliography.

 

The English of the paper has a good level of technical and scientific English. Specific terms related to mining and geology are used, and the wording is clear and concise. The paragraph is well structured and presents a variety of relevant information on the topic at hand. In general, the level of English is adequate for technical and scientific communication.

Author Response

Dear Reviewers

Applied sciences

We apologize for the long delay in preparing our revised manuscript. Thus far, we have revised the manuscript entitled “Occurrence Mechanism of Strong Mining Tremor near the Goaf Mining with Super-thick Strata” (applsci-2376964).

We appreciate the detailed and useful comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers on our manuscript. On behave of the comments, I have revised the manuscript. In addition, we modified the relevant content of the article according to the editor's requirements. Detailed revisions are listed below point by point according to the comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers. Moreover, the specific revisions were marked in the annotated version of the revised manuscript ("Marked Manuscript")

If you have any questions on the revised manuscript, please contact me by email immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Yao Yang

Email: ts20020066a31@cumt.edu.cn

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The MS discussed the strong mining tremor (SMT) especially in underground thick seam mining. The MS contained mechanism, sources, monitoring, and prevention methods of SMT. One of China mine had been selected for this case study. I have gone through this MS which is really new idea to solve the underground mining instability problems.

I have minor suggestions which are-

-          Title is not appropriate as per my opinion, it may be “Understanding the mechanism, monitoring and preventive measures of strong mining tremor near the goaf area of longwall mining- a case study”

-          Authors should compare the apparent volume distribution and the stress drop and apparent stress at the source with previously published researchers.

-          Mine roof stability of underground mining is a major issue around the world, therefore Authors should check the references which might be required a few additions in MS, which may be:- Stability Analysis of Shallow Depth Tunnel in Weak Rock Mass: 3D Numerical Modeling Approach,:-      Effect of Underground Blasting on Surface Slope Stability: A Numerical Approach

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewers

Applied sciences

We apologize for the long delay in preparing our revised manuscript. Thus far, we have revised the manuscript entitled “Occurrence Mechanism of Strong Mining Tremor near the Goaf Mining with Super-thick Strata” (applsci-2376964).

We appreciate the detailed and useful comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers on our manuscript. On behave of the comments, I have revised the manuscript. In addition, we modified the relevant content of the article according to the editor's requirements. Detailed revisions are listed below point by point according to the comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers. Moreover, the specific revisions were marked in the annotated version of the revised manuscript ("Marked Manuscript")

If you have any questions on the revised manuscript, please contact me by email immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Yao Yang

Email: ts20020066a31@cumt.edu.cn

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The paper discusses the occurrence mechanism of Strong Mining Tremor (SMT) in super-thick strata goaf mining, which poses a significant safety threat to underground workers and mine residents and hinders normal mine operation. The authors note that research on the mechanism of SMT occurrence under this mining condition is limited. The paper reports on a study of three SMTs that occurred in the Shilawusu Coal Mine since 2021, with results indicating that the primary and periodic fracturing of super-thick strata is the main cause of SMTs. The paper also discusses the deformation energy storage stage and the fracture and instability stage of super-thick strata, which can cause SMTs, and highlights the focal mechanism of SMTs, which are pure tensile failure and pure shear failure. The authors conclude that SMTs can still occur due to fracturing and sliding of super-thick strata. Overall, the paper provides valuable insights into the mechanism and prevention of SMTs in underground coal mines.

The paper is well-structured and clearly written. The authors effectively convey the significance of investigating SMT occurrence mechanism and the relevance of their study to the mining industry. The study's methods and results are explained in detail, with appropriate figures and tables supporting the findings. The authors' conclusion and recommendations are logical and supported by the study's results. Overall, this paper provides useful information for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and preventing SMTs in underground coal mining.

 

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewers

Applied sciences

We apologize for the long delay in preparing our revised manuscript. Thus far, we have revised the manuscript entitled “Occurrence Mechanism of Strong Mining Tremor near the Goaf Mining with Super-thick Strata” (applsci-2376964).

We appreciate the detailed and useful comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers on our manuscript. On behave of the comments, I have revised the manuscript. In addition, we modified the relevant content of the article according to the editor's requirements. Detailed revisions are listed below point by point according to the comments and suggestions from you and the reviewers. Moreover, the specific revisions were marked in the annotated version of the revised manuscript ("Marked Manuscript")

If you have any questions on the revised manuscript, please contact me by email immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Yao Yang

Email: ts20020066a31@cumt.edu.cn

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

I agree with the replies to the revisions and would like to thank the authors for the speed with which they have made the changes.