Wpływ górnictwa węgla kamiennego na zmiany rzeźby obszaru KWK Miechowice na Wyżynie Śląskiej

Abstract

The paper presents geomorphological effects of activity of black coal mine “Miechowice”, located in upland area with weakly diversified relief. On the base of morphometric studies with archival and contemporary cartographic materials applying as well as coal outputbalance analysis it was stated that almost 100-years lasting mining activity caused essential changes in relief of about 70% of mining area. The area of “active” mining terrain was lowered on average of 10,3 m, but the largest lowering rate happened in the last 30 years and it amounted on average to 156 mm/year. Total sizes of subsiding are spatially diversified and they are included within the range from 1 m up to 23 m. In result of significant terrain surface subsiding in the relief depression without outflow (subsiding depressions) of total area of about 2,39 sq km were separated. In consequence almost 31% of former “active” mining area was excluded from the fluvial system. This young, deep depressions without outflow play the special role in the process of matter circulation, beca-use they make local denudation bases and therefore they are the place of deposits accumulation. The rate of natural “filling” of such sedimentation basins without outflow will be at least several hundred times slower than anthropogenically conditioned rate of their formation. Therefore geomorphological effects of short-lasting mining anthropopression will be long-lasing.