Cave-in

A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which may occur during mining or tunneling. Geologic structures prone to spontaneous cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other limestone formations, but can also include lava tubes and a variety of other subsurface rock formations. Glacier caves and other ice formations are very prone to collapse from exposure to warm temperatures or running water.

This article is about a geologic phenomenon. For the rock band, see Cave In.

Illustration of mine collapse aftermath, from 1878

In mining, the term roof fall[1] is used to refer to many types of collapses, ranging from the fall of a single flake of shale to collapses that form sink holes that reach to the surface. However, roof falls in mining are not all accidental. In longwall mining and retreat mining, miners systematically remove all support from under large areas of the mine roof, allowing it to settle just beyond the work area. The goal in such mining methods is not to prevent roof fall and the ensuing surface subsidence, but rather to control it.

Geological formations
gollark: I think you can get spares from farms for free, even.
gollark: They're actually quite cheap.
gollark: Just as nevin predicted, actually. Praise nevin.
gollark: Well, you randomly appeared out of nowhere.
gollark: There aren't any on.

References
  1. "Glossary of Mining Terms". Kentucky Coal Education. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2015.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.