<p>Liquid nitrogen freeze–thawing is a highly efficient and environmental protection method used to modify and increase the coal seam permeability for coalbed methane extraction. In this paper, the rupture morphology of coal pores under different water content conditions after different numbers of freeze–thaw cycles in liquid nitrogen was investigated, and the freeze–thaw fracturing mechanism of liquid nitrogen was explored. Quantitative characterization of coal-mediated pores and micropores by nitrogen adsorption and CO₂ adsorption experiments. The BET and BJH theoretical models were utilized to calculate parameters including specific surface area and volume of pores, and the FHH modeling approach was utilized to compute the fractal dimension for data on nitrogen desorption. Parameters obtained from CO₂ adsorption experiments were also computed using the D-A model. This indicates that the freeze–thaw effect of liquid nitrogen significantly enhances the micropore structure of coal, thereby increasing the specific surface area and pore volume of coal and reducing the pore width. For coal samples with low water content, increasing the number of freeze–thaw cycles has no significant effect on the improvement of porosity, highlighting the key role of water content in the freeze–thaw cracking process. When the water content reaches 75%, the freeze–thaw fracturing effect is optimal. The fractal dimensions D₁ and D₂ increase with the increase of freeze–thaw times and water content, reflecting the more dispersed pore structure and the fracture phenomenon of the&#xa0;coal surface. This research is useful for the recognition of the process and mechanism of freeze–thaw cracking of coal under the effect of liquid nitrogen.</p>