Abstract: MODIS and TM/ETM+ remote-sensing data can be used to make qualitative inversion of the soil moisture content in mine surface layer. Meanwhile, under the support of GIS technology, the soil moisture content in coal mining area before the mining can also be deduced from that of non-coal mining area. Based on the DEM built for Shendong mining area, detailed analysis is made on the law of the change of the soil moisture content with elevation in the area. The result shows that on the scale of unit regional hydrogeology, the soil moisture content has evident negative relevancy with the elevation. On the scale of mining area, there is also a remarkable negative relevancy but a reduced relevancy between them. Moreover, between 1995 and 2005, there was a great difference in the change of the soil moisture contents in high and low elevation regions (900~1 000 m) in the mining area.

Key words: Soil moisture content, Mining area, DEM