A cave-in is a
collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which may occur during
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
,
tunneling, or steep-walled
excavation such as
trenching. 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.
In mining, the term roof fall
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
*
Alvar structures such as on the
Stora Alvaret,
Ă–land,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
*
Karst limestone such as in the
Madagascar dry deciduous forests
References
Caves
Mining terminology
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