Analysis of induced seismicity at Young-Davidson mine

Authors: Khalil, H; Chen, T; Blake, T; Thomas, A; Mitri, HS

Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_65

Cite As:
Khalil, H, Chen, T, Blake, T, Thomas, A & Mitri, HS 2024, 'Analysis of induced seismicity at Young-Davidson mine', in P Andrieux & D Cumming-Potvin (eds), Deep Mining 2024: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, pp. 1021-1038, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_65

Download citation as:   ris   bibtex   endnote   text   Zotero


Abstract:
As the demand for mineral resources is on the rise and mining operations continue to dig deeper at higher mining rates, the risks associated with mining-induced seismicity have substantially increased. Strong seismic events can cause rock mass and support system damage in drifts and stopes, resulting in production delays; more importantly, they may pose a hazard to the safety of mine operators. Thus the causes and risks associated with mining-induced seismicity must be investigated. This paper reports on the results of a case study at Young-Davidson (YD) mine in Canada. The YD mine is experiencing large seismic events at different mining horizons. The focus of this study is the MW2.0 events occurring in the lower mine in the depth range of 900 to 1,200 m below surface. The goal is to identify the root causes behind the large seismic events and suggest remedial strategies. The analysis of seismic source parameters and moment tensor inversion of five large seismic events helped identify the source mechanisms. In situ stress measurements previously conducted at the YD mine were analysed and used in a mine-wide numerical model that was generated with FLAC3D, taking into consideration the northeast-trending diabase dykes. The model simulates mining-induced stress distribution following the mine plan of primary and secondary stope extraction. Qualitative assessment of the safety factor, brittle shear ratio and stored strain energy, as well as comparison with seismic source location, magnitude and mechanism, helped provide an understanding of the seismic behaviour in the lower mine. The study revealed that strong seismic activities are attributed mainly to high pre-mining differential stress ( with running parallel to the dykes. This leads to high differential stress build-up in the secondary stopes (ore pillars) and sill pillars, which causes predominantly compressive/shear seismic source mechanisms. The research completed by Khalil (2023) forms the basis of this paper.

Keywords: underground mining, mining-induced seismicity, numerical modelling, moment tensor inversion

References:
Alamos Gold Inc. 2020, Ground Control Management Plan.
Brune, J 1971, ‘Correction [to “Tectonic stress and the spectra, of seismic shear waves from earthquakes”]’, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 76, no. 20, pp. 5002.
Brune, N 1970, ‘Tectonic stress and the spectra of seismic shear waves from earthquakes’, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 75, no. 26, pp. 4997–5009.
Caputa, A, Rudziński, Ł & Cesca, S 2021, ‘How to assess the moment tensor inversion resolution for mining induced seismicity: a case study for the Rudna mine, Poland’, Frontiers in Earth Science, vol. 9, 671207.
Caputa, A, Talaga, A & Rudziński, Ł 2015, ‘Analysis of post-blasting source mechanisms of mininginduced seismic events in Rudna copper mine, Poland’, Contemporary Trends in Geoscience, 4.
Castro, LA, Bewick, RP & Carter, TG 2012, ‘An overview of numerical modelling applied to deep mining’, Innovative Numerical Modelling in Geomechanics, CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 393-414.
Chen, J, Liu, X & Xu, Q 2017, ‘Numerical simulation analysis of damage mode of concrete gravity dam under close-in explosion’, KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 21, pp. 397–407.
Cronin, V 2004, ‘A draft primer on focal mechanism solutions for geologists’, Baylor University, Texas.
Dahm, T & Krüger, F 2014, ‘Moment tensor inversion and moment tensor interpretation’, in P Bormann (ed.), New Manual of Seismological Observatory, Deutsches, GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Potsdam.
Eaton, DW 2008, ‘Microseismic focal mechanisms: a tutorial’, CREWES Research Report, 20, pp. 1–11.
ESG Solutions 2020, Seismic Software Suite (HSS), computer software, https://www.environmental-expert.com/software/esg-windows-based-hyperion-seismic-software-suite-hss-605490.
Eyre, TS & van der Baan, M 2015, ‘Overview of moment-tensor inversion of microseismic events’, The Leading Edge, vol. 34, no. 8, pp. 882–888.
Gnyp, A & Malytskyy, D 2021, ‘Differential and source term’s locations of the 2015 Teresva (East Carpathians) series and their tectonic implications’, Acta Geophysica, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 2099–2112.
Heidarzadeh, S, Saeidi, A & Rouleau, A 2019, ‘Evaluation of the effect of geometrical parameters on stope probability of failure in the open stoping method using numerical modeling’, International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 399–408.
Heidarzadeh, S, Saeidi, A & Rouleau, A 2020, ‘Use of probabilistic numerical modeling to evaluate the effect of geomechanical parameter variability on the probability of open-stope failure: a case study of the Niobec Mine, Quebec (Canada)’, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, vol. 53, pp. 1411–1431.
Hoek, E, Carranza-Torres, C & Corkum, B 2002, ‘Hoek-Brown failure criterion-2002 edition’, Proceedings of NARMS-Tac 2002,
pp. 267–273.
ITASCA, F 2009, Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in 3 Dimensions, version 4.0, computer software.
ITASCA, F 2013, Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in 3 Dimensions, online manual, pp. 175–180.
Julian, BR, Miller, AD & Foulger, GR 1998, 'Non‐double‐couple earthquakes 1. Theory’, Reviews of Geophysics, vol. 36, no. 4,
pp. 525–549.
Khalil, H 2023, Effect of Mining and Geology on Induced Seismicity - A Case Study, Masters thesis, McGill University, Montreal.
Khalil, H, Chen, T, Xu, Y H & Mitri, H 2022, ‘Effect of mining and geology on mining-induced seismicity–A case study’, Journal of Sustainable Mining, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 200–215.
Knopoff, L & Randall, MJ 1970, ‘The compensated linear‐vector dipole: a possible mechanism for deep earthquakes’, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 75, no. 26, pp. 4957–4963.
Kwiatek, G, Martínez‐Garzón, P & Bohnhoff, M 2016, ‘HybridMT: A MATLAB/shell environment package for seismic moment tensor inversion and refinement’, Seismological Research Letters, vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 964–976.
Li, T, Cai, MF & Cai, M 2007, ‘A review of mining-induced seismicity in China’, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 44, no. 8, pp. 1149–1171.
Li, Y 2021, Determination of Mining-Induced Stresses Using Diametrical Rock Core Deformation Measurement and Finite Element Modelling, master’s thesis, McGill University, Montreal.
Li, Y, Chen, T, Blake, T & Mitri, HS 2024, ‘Validation of diametrical core deformation technique for mining-induced stress estimation: a case study’, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, pp. 1–10,
Li, Y & Mitri, HS 2022, ‘Determination of mining-induced stresses using diametral rock core deformations’, International Journal of Coal Science & Technology, vol. 9, no. 1.
Lizurek, G & Wiejacz, P 2011, ‘Moment tensor solution and physical parameters of selected recent seismic events at Rudna copper mine’, Geophysics in Mining and Environmental Protection, pp. 11–19,
Ma, J, Dong, L, Zhao, G & Li, X 2019, ‘Focal mechanism of mining-induced seismicity in fault zones: a case study of Yongshaba mine in China’, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, vol. 52, no. 9, pp. 3341–3352.
Malovichko, D, van Aswegen, G & Clark, R 2012, ‘Mechanisms of large seismic events in platinum mines of the Bushveld Complex (South Africa)’, Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 112, no. 6, pp. 419–429.
McGarr, A 1992, ‘Moment tensors of ten Witwatersrand mine tremors’, Pure and Applied Geophysics, vol. 139, pp. 781–800.
McKinnon, SD & Labrie, D 2006, ‘Interpretation of stresses adjacent to the Cadillac Fault assuming marginal large-scale rock mass stability’, Proceedings of the International Symposium on In-situ Rock Stresses, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 409–417.
MDEng 2017, Geomechanical Review of Young-Davidson Life of Mine Extraction Plan, Mine Design Engineering Report #1015-R1606-01.
Mitri, H, Tang, B & Vicenzi, I 2000, ‘Modeling of tunnel face stresses in bedded rock’, The 53rd Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Canadian Geotechnical Society, Montreal.
Mitri, HS, Tang, B & Simon, R 1999, ‘FE modelling of mining-induced energy release and storage rates’, Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 99, no. 2, pp. 103–110.
Ren, Y, Vavryčuk, V, Wu, S & Gao, Y 2021, ‘Accurate moment tensor inversion of acoustic emissions and its application to Brazilian splitting test’, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 141, 104707.
Sainoki, A, Schwartzkopff, AK, Jiang, L & Mitri, HS 2021, ‘Numerical modeling of complex stress state in a fault damage zone and its implication on near‐fault seismic activity’, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 126, no. 7, e2021JB021784.
Scognamiglio, L, Magnoni, F, Tinti, E & Casarotti, E 2016, ‘Uncertainty estimations for moment tensor inversions: the issue of the 2012 May 20 Emilia earthquake’, Geophysical Journal International, vol. 206, no. 2, pp. 792–806.
Shnorhokian, S, Mitri, HS & Moreau-Verlaan, L 2015, ‘Stability assessment of stope sequence scenarios in a diminishing ore pillar’, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 74, pp. 103–118.
Šílený, J & Milev, A 2008, ‘Source mechanism of mining induced seismic events—resolution of double couple and non-double couple models’, Tectonophysics, vol. 456, no. 1-2, pp. 3–15.
Stec, K & Drzewiecki, J 2012, ‘Mine tremor focal mechanism: an essential element for recognising the process of mine working destruction’, Acta Geophysica, vol. 60, pp. 449–471.
Stein, S & Wysession, M 2009, ‘An introduction to seismology, earthquakes, and earth structure’, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken.
Stierle, E, Vavryčuk, V, Šílený, J & Bohnhoff, M 2014, ‘Resolution of non-double-couple components in the seismic moment tensor using regional networks—I: a synthetic case study’, Geophysical Journal International, vol. 196, no. 3, pp. 1869–1877.
Tierney, S 2019, Moment Tensors – A Practical Guide, blog post,
Vavryčuk, V 2015, ‘Moment tensor decompositions revisited’, Journal of Seismology, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 231–252.
Vennes, I, Mitri, H, Chinnasane, DR & Yao, M 2020, ‘Large-scale destress blasting for seismicity control in hard rock mines: a case study’, International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 141–149.
Yang, J, Lu, W, Hu, Y, Chen, M & Yan, P 2015, ‘Numerical simulation of rock mass damage evolution during deep-buried tunnel excavation by drill and blast’, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, vol. 48, pp. 2045–2059.
Zhang, H, Eaton, DW, Li, G, Liu, Y & Harrington, RM 2016, ‘Discriminating induced seismicity from natural earthquakes using moment tensors and source spectra’, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 121, no. 2, pp. 972–993.




© Copyright 2024, Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG), The University of Western Australia. All rights reserved.
View copyright/legal information
Please direct any queries or error reports to repository-acg@uwa.edu.au