A prediction method for water enrichment in aquifer based on GIS and coupled AHP-entropy model

To prevent coal mine water disasters, the main objective of this study is to predict the water enrichment of the main aquifer in a coal mine of China that has been threatened by water inrush. The prediction is carried out using a geographic information system (GIS) and a coupled analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy model. The flushing fluid consumption, burnt rock distribution, sand- shale ratio, and lithology structure index were determined as the main factors controlling the water enrichment of the aquifer. A thematic map of these main factors was con-structed using the spatial data analysis functions of GIS and the data from a total of 146 drilling columns and field investigation. The weights of these controlling factors were calculated using the coupled model. A prediction map of the water enrichment of the aquifer was then developed by overlaying the thematic map with the weights of each con-trolling factor. The degree of water enrichment was finally divided into four levels for easy interpretation, where Level I denotes the highest water enrichment and poses the greatest threat of water disaster.