Coal fires dynamics detection over Rujigou coalfield, Ningxia, NW China

Coal fires are a common problem in most coal-producing countries in the world, which could cause serious environmental, economic and other problems. Rujigou coalfield in Shizuishan City, Ningxia, NW China, is well known for being the storehouse of anthracite coal. The coalfield is also well known for its coal fires among all coalfields in China. In the study, an attempt was made to study the coal fires dynamics in Rujigou coalfield during the range time from 2000 to 2007 using a TIR approach based on the multi-temporal nighttime Landsat data. A quantitative analysis was made over coal fires changes in the spatial extent. The results showed that the general spreading direction of coal fires was toward the north or northeast. From 2001 to 2007, the coal fires had a huge increasement with annual average area of 0.14 km².