Abstract: The development of fracture zones in the overlying strata due to mining activities has a direct impact on the ground pressure behavior and water gushing & sand collapse disasters at the fully mechanized mining face, and is a fundamental issue restricting the safe and efficient mining of the working face. Taking the 110901 working face of Luotuoshan Coal Mine as the engineering background, a method combining water-rock coupling physical simulation and UDEC numerical simulation was adopted to reveal the spatio-temporal evolution laws of the overlying strata fracture zones in the large-height fully mechanized mining face. The results show that through the analysis of water-rock coupling physical simulation under different advancement distances, the development and fracture failure instability characteristics of the overlying strata fracture zones were analyzed. The overlying strata fracture zones developed in a "stepwise" upward manner, accompanied by a large number of transverse dislocation fractures and longitudinal fracture zones. The fracture breakage trace line presented a "positive trapezoidal" spatial form, the caving zone and fracture zone development heights were 16.2 and 72.2 meters respectively. A water-rock coupling seepage evolution model of the overlying strata was constructed, clarifying the bending collapse morphology, water-bearing fracture development and pore water pressure characteristics of the overlying strata under different advancement distances. The fracture evolution laws of the fully mechanized mining face were basically consistent with the physical simulation results. The spatiotemporal evolution laws of the water-rock coupling effect of the overlying strata in the large-height fully mechanized mining face were revealed, mainly experiencing five stages: "initial emergence - communication expansion - fracture connection - intensification evolution - approaching stability". The water-rock coupling effect has the dual effects of softening and dissolution erosion. The development of overlying strata fracture zones shows a high increase and complex morphology feature. The research results provide a scientific basis for formulating and implementing effective water gushing & sand collapse prevention technologies in similar mines and achieving safe, efficient and green mining of large-height fully mechanized mining faces.