MINING-INDUCED MICROSEISMICITY - MONITORING AND APPLICATIONS OF IMAGING AND SOURCE MECHANISM TECHNIQUES

The study of microseismicity in mines provides an ideal method for rem ote volumetric sampling of rock masses. The nature and uniqueness of m icroseismic monitoring is outlined in the context of acquisition hardw are and software requirements. Several topics are used to highlight th e potential for novel applications of microseismicity and to outline a reas where further study is required. These topics reflect some of the current interest areas in seismology, namely b values and source para meters, fault-plane solutions, modes of failure and moment tensor inve rsion, imaging and seismicity-velocity correlations. These studies sug gest potential correlations between zones of high seismic velocity, hi gh microseismic activity and maximal stress drops, which can be interp reted spatially to be the locations of highly stressed ground with a p otential for rock bursting. Fault-plane solutions are shown to be usef ul in determining the slip potential of various joint sets in a rock m ass. Source parameter studies and moment tensor analysis clearly show the importance of non-shear components of failure, and b values for mi croseismicity appear to be magnitude-limited and related to spatial ra ther than temporal variations in effective stress levels.