Changes in the Landform and Water Conditions of the Industri-Alized Urban Area as a Result of Mining Activities

Robert Machowski ()
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Robert Machowski: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Earth Science, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: A particularly large accumulation of mining subsidence basins is characteristic for the Silesian Upland in southern Poland. This region is home to one of Europe’s largest coal basins. The objective of the study was to assess the subsidence process on the land surface in an industrialized urban area, as well as their impact on changes in the water cycle. Detailed studies were conducted in an area of 51.26 km 2 , which covers urban areas—mainly of Świętochłowice and partly Ruda Śląska and Chorzów, as well as Bytom and Zabrze. In the period 1883–1994 land surface depressions were revealed in an area of 38.8 km 2 , which constitutes 75.7% of the study area. In total, the endorheic areas spread over 6.9 km 2 . Changes in land reliefs have resulted in distinct water-cycle disturbances at local and regional levels. A generalised water-cycle scheme has been developed for the mining subsidence zone. The main directions of changes in water migration within the endorheic subsidence basin have been indicated, accounting for the situation before and after land subsidence. Consequently, this results in an average excess of 1.7 hm 3 of water per year in the water cycle in these areas.

Keywords: subsidence basin; coal mining; water cycle; Silesian Upland; anthropopression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:10:p:1710-:d:931934

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