Developing a Velocity Model for an Underground Coal Mine Using a Compressed Load Column Seismic Source

Details

• Personal Author:
  Boltz S ; Chambers D ; Janson P ; Sbai S
• Description:
  Induced seismicity is common in underground mining, particularly in mines that cave by design, such as longwall coal mining. Seismic monitoring is one of the few remote sensing technologies that provide an understanding of a mine's response to extraction. However, its effectiveness usually depends on understanding event locations in relation to the mine workings. A significant source of uncertainty in event locations is the velocity model: a description of the speed at which seismic energy propagates. A nondestructive, repeatable compressed load column seismic source (CLCSS) was developed for velocity model calibration in underground coal mines. This paper describes the CLCSS and its application at a longwall coal mine. Signals from the CLCSS were detected up to 950 m epicentrally (1, 100 m hypocentrally) from the source. Using the ground-truthed signals from the seismic source, we estimate a velocity model for locating events from a surface geophone array. Model performance is evaluated by relocating mining-induced events with well-constrained locations. A three-layer model with P-wave velocities ranging from 3.6 km/s to 4.4 km/s and a VP/VS ratio of 2.1 performed best with location errors of approximately 100 m, which is sufficient for many applications of seismic monitoring in coal mines. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Geology Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal Mining Monitoring Systems Rock Bursts Rock Mechanics Underground Mines
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9780979497582
• Publisher:
  American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  SMRD - Spokane Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068947
• Citation:
  57th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, June 25-28, 2023, Atlanta, Georgia. Alexandria, VA: American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA), 2023 Jun; :ARMA-2023-0284
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  57th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, June 25-28, 2023, Atlanta, Georgia
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:496107e12faad4989b56c84c7c44fdf4b372813954a73dab6af933750838ef6f49b3909948f659043d697e3a826a6a6cd564f2ce74124cc291ad79a4280f384a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215627/cdc_215627_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.18 MB ]