The Future of Abandoned Shallow Mines as a Function of Precipitation Under Changing Climate

The paper discusses the future of abandoned underground mines and the main hazards related to their instability, specifically local and large collapses. A database of over 500 large collapses is presented. The analysis of these events reveals that the primary causes are the extraction ratio, ageing and climatic factors (such as heavy rain, and increasing water levels). Furthermore, a back analysis of a large-scale collapse, the Château-Landon collapse of 1910, showed that the collapse resulted from a combination of the mining conditions and slope instability climate factor, particularly the impact of rainfall on mine stability. In the case of Château-Landon, the water had two effects: it reduced the resistance of the chalk and decreased the shear strength of the fault crossing the slope. The back analysis and database contribute to a better understanding of mine collapses caused by mining conditions and the modification of climate conditions.