Coalburst Causes and Mechanisms

Coalburst (also known as coal bump) is a well known phenomenon in underground coal mines internationally, however, it was not recognised as a risk for Australian coal mines until the recent double fatality at Austar Coal Mine in the Hunter Valley in 2014. This paper reviews the international knowledge base from research and practice to provide Australian mining professionals with an understanding of the basics of coalburst causes and mechanisms in order to allow mine operators to address the risk of coalburst in mining safety management plans. This is the first of two companion papers with the second paper, “Coalburst control methods” (Calleja and Porter 2016).