## 5 Conclusions  
In this work, The dynamic evolution rules of surface and underlying rock fractures are discovered, and the development height of water-conducting fracture zones is investigated. The dynamic evolution mechanism of the WCFZ and surface cracks is explained, and the shape of surface block fracture instability is judged. A horizontal staggered mining model for shallow multi-seam is built. Techniques for preventing and managing landslides caused by coal mining in valley regions are suggested. The following are the primary conclusions:  
1. The height of the WCFZ is an important parameter for preventing and controlling water disasters in coal mine. In the paper, the WCFZ induced by shallow multi-seam mining penetrates the surface, which is higher than the empirical value in the northern region of Shaanxi. The activation and self-healing properties of overburden fissures are identified and the control influence of critical layers on water-conducting fracture zones was elucidated using numerical simulation studies. Predicting the features of mine water dangers and developing preventative and control strategies can benefit greatly from these findings.
2. Surface cracks are the most common disaster in coal mining areas, which are related to the restoration and protection of the ecological environment. According to the numerical simulation results, six different types of multi-period activity characteristics of surface cracks in shallow multi-seam mining were monitored in a gully area. The relationship between the activity of surface crack and mining parameters and slope angle is revealed, and the mechanism of surface crack activity is clarified by theoretical analysis. This innovative research lays a theoretical foundation for accurate prediction of dynamic development parameters of surface cracks.  
3. According to the activity characteristics of boundary cracks in shallow multi-seam mining, a method to mitigate surface damage through to a horizontal staggered mining model of the upper coal seam and lower coal seam and a way to lessen the risk of landslides brought on by surface cracks during coal seam mining in gully regions were developed by cutting or constructing several platforms. The suggested mitigation method offers a methodical way to successfully manage surface catastrophes brought on by shallow multi-seam mining.  
The work presented here is carried out in collaboration with all authors. [PERSON] and [PERSON] conceived the work and drafted the manuscript; [PERSON] and [PERSON] analyzed the numerical simulation results; [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] investigated the characteristics of surface cracks caused by 25,214 working face mining and participated in the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
Financial support was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42177174), the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (2024 JC-YBQN-0361) and the Shaanxi Provincial Postdoctoral Research Project (2023 BSHEDZZ297).  
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.  
The authors declare no competing interests.