Precise prediction of the collapse column based on channel wave spectral disparity characteristics and velocity tomography imaging

Abstract

Abstract Collapse columns are complex geological anomalies that present safety hazards in coal mines. In practice, the boundaries and internal features are difficult to finely characterize. In this study, we use the Jeffrey divergence to reveal the spectral disparity when the channel wave seismic ray path encounters a collapse column. We use the forward mode and applications for verification. We find that the centroid peak frequency shifts toward lower frequencies, the frequency band narrows and the rays through a collapse column cause attenuation of energy. When a seismic ray path encounters a large collapse column, no channel wave appears in the seismic record, the dispersion curve velocity is greater than the velocity of a normal coal seam, the centroid peak frequency drops and the frequency band shrinks. When a seismic ray passes through the boundary of a collapse column, the dispersion curve shows two parallel velocity phases. When a seismic ray path passes through a small collapse column, the decrease in the centroid frequency becomes the only identifying feature. The proposed channel wave spectral disparity characteristic and velocity tomography imaging method can effectively identify small collapse columns and improve the accuracy and precision of the location of collapse column boundaries, with a position deviation of less than 10 m.