Objective Coals serve as a cornerstone for ensuring the energy security of China. However, coal mining activities break the original in situ stress equilibrium, triggering multi-sphere damage conduction and coupling responses in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere from underground to the surface, involving rock mass structure, groundwater, and surface environment. Consequently, the original structural relationships, occurring elements, and functions of these spheres will be changed. Presently, investigating the multi-sphere structural evolution, conservation, and utilization in coal mining to underpin the role of coals as an energy cornerstone is significant for resolving the contradiction between the high-quality development of the coal industry and ecological civilization construction.

Methods Focusing on the conception of coal mining-induced dynamic structural evolution characterized by deep disturbance, shallow conduction, surface manifestation, and spatiotemporal evolution, this study clarified the diverse value demands for geological safety guarantees, ecological protection, resource coordination, and regional sustainable development during coal exploitation from the aspects of production, living, and ecology. Accordingly, this study revealed the dynamic changes in resource occurrence conditions, geological conditions for coal mining, and multi-sphere relationships. Based on the philosophy of systematic Earth sciences, as well as the multi-sphere coupling relationships and associated responses concerning coal occurrence and mining, the study systematically elaborated a research concept that integrated geological guarantees, geological evolution, multi-sphere material cycling, multi-dimensional information responses, and ecological environmental protection.

Results This study proposed theories and technologies for multi-sphere responses and damage reduction-oriented geological guarantees under coal mining from the aspects of scientific connotation, key scientific issues, and implementation path. The details are as follows: (1) From the perspective of 3D geological structures, involving deep disturbance, shallow conduction, and surface manifestation, and relationships with ecological environments, this study gained insights into the correlations among coal occurrence conditions, geological conditions for safe coal mining, and ecological environmental constraints, as well as the coupling, variability, and complexity of multi-sphere relationships. Furthermore, it defined the spatiotemporal coupling relationships of coal measure resources with ecosystems and hydrogeological conditions under the multi-sphere structural system; (2) This study determined stress-fracture-seepage-chemistry multi-field coupling relationships, as well as the spatiotemporal responses and evolutionary characteristics and patterns of multi-sphere structures, under coal mining. Furthermore, it identified the conduction patterns of both mining-induced damage energy and information from deep strata to surface soil layers, as well as the mechanisms underlying responses at sphere boundaries (e.g., rock-water, water-soil, soil-biota, water-biota interfaces). Additionally, it revealed the mechanisms behind feedback among geological occurrence conditions, coal mining disturbances, and ecological environmental constraints. (3) Based on the impacts of coal mining activities involving space, air, ground, boreholes, and roadways, this study developed intelligent perception and interpretation theories and methods that integrate full spatiotemporal, multi-source information fusion of multi-sphere structures involving deep disturbance, shallow conduction, surface manifestation, and spatiotemporal evolution. It extracted multi-dimensional dynamic information on geological structures, hydrological cycles, and ecological elements under mining disturbances, constructed multi-sphere structure and function coupled evolution models to serve safe and green coal mining, and developed a data-driven platform for the detection, monitoring, assessment, optimization, and decision-making regarding multi-sphere responses under coal mining. (4) This study examined the dynamic evolution and regulation mechanisms of multi-sphere structures and functions under feedback between coal mining and the geological environment, explored the constraints of geological conditions on mining activities, and investigated methods for damage reduction from sources by regulating mining techniques and patterns. Furthermore, it established theories for safe, green, and ecological coal mining based on geological adaptation constraints and constructed a geology-engineering-environment-ecology integrated, whole-process scientific research and engineering service system to achieve pre-mining and in-mining geological services, as well as post-mining utilization of mining spaces, development of digital data resources, and ecological environmental protection. As a result, geological guarantee models characterized by mechanisms + technology and platform + services were developed.

Conclusions Research on multi-sphere responses and damage reduction-oriented geological guarantees in coal mining will provide theoretical support and scientific guidance for resource development under the constraints of geological environments. It also serves as a guide for serving major national strategic demands, facilitating coal industry transformation and upgrading, advancing ecological civilization construction, and promoting economic and social sustainable development.