The use of high frequency and mine-wide microseismic systems to monitor the movement of blasting induced stresses

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 93, No. 1040, 2000

S.D. Butt, Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, DalTech-Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia P.N. Calder, Centro de Mineria, Escuela de Ingenieria, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile D.B. Apel, Cameco Corp., Sas

Mine-wide (MW) microseismic systems use widely spaced transducers to determine the source location and parameters of stronger microseismic events, while high frequency (HF) systems use fewer transducers to monitor local areas for the weaker events that can precede stronger events. Previous monitoring at the Creighton Mine indicated that an HF transducer located 120 m away from an active stope recorded two types of activity in response to production blasting: the first occurring at the same time as the production blasts and associated with the passage of the direct seismic waves from the blast through the local area, and the second occurring several hours later and associated with the arrival of a slower moving stress change through the rock mass (which was identified by the mineÕs MW system). Interpretations of locally increased stress levels, based on analysis of the recorded HF events, correlated with the nearby occurrence of two strong seismic events. These results were applied to a similar monitoring trail at the Kidd Creek Mine where the transient stress changes induced by several developme

Mots Clés: Blasting, Kidd Creek Mine, Microseismic systems, Stress monitoring, Underground mining.