{"id":84714,"date":"2022-05-17T20:01:17","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T20:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/?p=84714"},"modified":"2024-03-05T09:59:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T09:59:37","slug":"mining-hazard-data-from-bgs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/news\/mining-hazard-data-from-bgs\/","title":{"rendered":"Mining hazard data (not including coal) from BGS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mine workings range from small-scale, local workings, such as graphite mining in the Lake District or jet mined in Whitby, to large-scale, national resources such as salt extraction in Cheshire. While modern mine workings meet stringent safety standards, many old, disused or abandoned sites are gradually decaying, leaving a long-forgotten legacy that poses potential problems to infrastructure and property. It is therefore essential we have knowledge of the distribution of former mining areas, helping us to plan for future development and ongoing maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a mining hazard?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The voids resulting from past underground mining activity pose a possible hazard. Former underground workings, particularly where shallow, may collapse and cause surface settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mining hazards in Great Britain can take on various different forms, including surface impacts like ground instability, gradual subsidence, cover collapse and groundwater contamination. As our climate changes, new climate conditions may exacerbate ground conditions further, leading to more incidents of this nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed with knowledge about potential hazards, preventative steps can be put in place to alleviate the impact of the hazard on people and property. The cost of such prevention may be very low and is often many times lower than the repair bill following ground movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mining hazard examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n