Mine subsidence is the settlement of the ground surface following the extraction of an underground orebody. There are several types of subsidence including: Examples of these types of mine subsidence are shown in the figure below. 
Figure 1 : Trough subsidence profile over a longwall mining panel Mine subsidence has the potential to damage buildings, infrastructure, and utilities such as pipelines. In areas where abandoned coal mines exist, engineers must design structures to tolerate deformations associated with mine subsidence. For mining engineers the prediction of mine subsidence is very important during the planning stages of any underground mining operation. The extent of subsidence is a function of the rock mass quality in the mine pillars and overlying strata, the depth of mining, the areal extent of mining, the thickness of the orebody, and time. | 
