When mining occurs beneath or in the vicinity of valleys and other forms of irregular surface topography, the observed vertical subsidence at the base of the valley is less than that would be expected in flat terrain, while the observed horizontal movement of valley sides is greater than that in flat terrain. The reduction in subsidence at the bottom of the valley is referred to as upsidence and the convergence of two sides of the valley is termed valley closure. Researchers have identified the phenomenon of valley closure and upsidence as being very significant parts of non-conventional subsidence effects over the past 15 years in Australia. This paper aims to review and evaluate the recent developments in studying mining induced valley closure subsidence effects. The main issues addressed in this paper are: empirical predictions of valley closure and upsidence; numerical modelling approaches; and mechanisms behind this behaviour based on field measurements.
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