Abstract: Aimed at intelligent mining and transparent geology, this study addresses unstable SWM sources and poor imaging continuity by proposing an improved pulse-compression workflow for advanced detection of fine-scale structures ahead of the working face. A 60-channel array (15 m spacing, 1.95 kHz sampling) was deployed along the two gate roads of the 61104 panel. An integrated processing chain—detrending/zero-phase band-pass filtering, notch filtering, AGC-based despiking, and adaptive-template normalized cross-correlation pulse compression—was applied. Combined weight traveltime picking, robust location, and dynamic imaging using traveltime CT and diffraction stacking were performed, with roadway exposure used for validation. Continuous operation for 110 days achieved an imaging coverage of ~ 700 m. Two anomalies were predicted on 2024-04-04: SYC2-1, a minor fault with a throw of ~ 0.8 m, and SYC2-2, a faulted fractured zone. Subsequent mining exposure during 04-26 to 04-30 confirmed the interpretations, providing a lead time of 22–26 days.The proposed workflow significantly improves signal-to-noise ratio and first-arrival stability, reduces location and imaging errors, and enables continuous identification and quantitative early warning of fine-scale coal-seam structures.