Environmental Sustainability in Deep Mining: Controlling Dynamic Disasters and Mineral Resource Development

Dear Colleagues,

As the global demand for mineral resources continues to rise, the mining industry is increasingly compelled to exploit deeper coal reserves, encountering environments marked by extreme geomechanical complexities. Modern deep mining operations face unprecedented challenges characterized by multi-field coupling effects, such as high in situ stresses, enhanced permeability, and intense mechanical disturbances. These conditions present considerable challenges to environmental sustainability in deep mining, making mining and environmental protection work increasingly difficult to manage. These conditions not only amplify the risks of dynamic disasters, such as rockbursts, coal and gas outbursts, and water inrushes, but also exacerbate environmental degradation, including groundwater contamination, surface subsidence, and greenhouse gas emissions. The evolving nature of disaster mechanisms, driven by the interplay between anthropogenic activities and geological heterogeneities, renders conventional mitigation strategies increasingly inadequate. For instance, the transition from static to dynamic loading regimes in deep strata complicates the prediction of fracture propagation, while gas adsorption–desorption dynamics under high stress challenge existing outburst prevention models. Furthermore, auxiliary hazards such as respirable dust accumulation, the spontaneous combustion of coal seams, and ventilation-induced methane dispersion persistently threaten both occupational safety and ecological sustainability. Achieving sustainable coal extraction in such settings demands transformative innovations that harmonize safety.

The Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers and industry experts to exchange technological innovations, fostering collaboration and advancing practices that prioritize safety theory and technology in deep mining operations while promoting the sustainable development of mineral resources. We particularly welcome contributions exploring novel computational approaches for green mining, disaster prevention and control, dust control, carbon sequestration, sustainable development strategies, etc.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in  Sustainability.

Dr. Liming Qiu
Dr. Leilei Si
Dr. Hang Long
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• deep mining
• environmental sustainability
• dynamic disasters
• disaster prevention and reduction
• sustainable development