MICROSEISMIC REAL TIME AND ADVANCED ANALYSIS IN MINES
D. S. Collins, Y. Toya, V. Shumila, Z. Hosseini, and C.-I. Trifu, ESG Solutions
ABSTRACT
Microseismic monitoring systems listen to a rockmass and record ground vibrations associated with brittle
rock fracture. Modern systems record continuously and can identify as many as one thousand small and
possibly larger magnitude events occurring each day from induced stress change and redistribution. This
paper presents examples of the real time use of microseismic information in mining applications. It shows
how alerts can quickly identify large magnitude events or unexpected clusters of seismicity and how
seismic re-entry protocol can help to improve safety. Additionally, newly developed advanced analysis
techniques applied to mine seismic data sets are shown including improved source location accuracy using
3D velocity models, discrete fracture representation of seismic source mechanism results, and seismic
stress inversion for interpreting local stress conditions. Examples of the use of clustering methods are
shown to see into a cloud of seismic data to identify significant activity and quantify possible planar
features. The use of source parameter trend analysis is shown to be a useful method for interpreting
changes in relative stress levels, the relationship between induced events and blasting, as well as seismic
hazard analysis. The rockmass response to excavation is a complicated spatial and temporal process and
microseismic monitoring is a method that can be used to help understand the location and mechanics of
failure occurring in the rock ultimately helping to improve safety and productivity at a mine site.
KEYWORDS
Microseismic, Mining, Location, Mechanism, Re-entry, Clustering