A review of mining-induced seismicity in China

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Abstract

Active seismicity and rockbursting have been an emerging problem in Chinese mines. The distribution and characteristics of mining-induced seismicity in China, and its monitoring, mitigation, and research, are reviewed in this paper. Mining at depth and the activity of current tectonic stress field are the two major factors leading to rockburst hazards. Three critical depths, i.e., critical initiation depth, roof upper-bound depth, and floor lower-bound depth, have been identified based on hypocenter data of seismic events in coalmines. A strong correlation between rockbursts and gas outbursts in coalmines has also been established, and it is recommended to use this correlation for rockburst and gas outburst hazard assessment and warning interchangeably. We find that the key problems of rockburst hazard mitigation in China are the lack of mine seismicity-monitoring networks in most mines, and the need for improvement of the accuracy of the monitoring systems for mines that have been equipped with such systems. Because the demand for minerals resources is extremely high and the mining activities are progressing deeper and deeper, an increasing trend of mining-induced seismicity hazards in China may be anticipated for the near future. Mining-induced seismicities are hazards, but at the same time they have been found useful for studying geophysical problems in deep ground, particularly in the field of earthquake prediction. With the enforcement of relevant laws for the mining industry and the continuous effort to study rockburst problems using rock mechanics and geophysics principles and methods, it is believed that new approaches for rockburst hazard control and mitigation can be developed.

Introduction

Excavation of large volumes of rocks at depth and the resulting stress redistribution can cause fracture initiation, propagation, and rock mass movement along pre-existing fracture planes. This process is usually accompanied by the generation of seismic waves known as mining-induced seismicity, which have been noticed in underground mining and civil tunneling projects worldwide. Hence, mining-induced seismicity can be defined as the rock mass response to deformation and failure of underground structures, including the rock mass itself. Mining-induced seismic events, which correspond to the sudden release of elastic strain energy in the rock mass, include ground movement caused by fault slip due to the interaction of tectonic stresses and mining-induced stresses away from mine openings and those caused by the sudden failure of rock masses due to stress concentration in the mining area. Rockbursts (or coal bumps in coalmines) are particular cases of seismic events induced by mining activity that cause injury to persons, or damage to underground workings. As a result, all rockbursts are seismic events, but not all mining-induced seismic events are rockbursts.

Since the first report of seismicity at South Stanford coalmine in England in 1738 [1], [2], mining-induced seismicity has been recorded and reported in many countries, for almost all underground works (mining, tunneling), and in different rock type (hard brittle rocks such as granite, soft rocks such as coals). Although the strength or released energy of mining-induced seismic events is small as compared to that of natural earthquakes, this type of seismic activity occurs frequently, at shallow ground (up to a few km), and is closely related to engineering activities (tunneling and mining). Mining-induced seismicity may cause production losses in underground mines, damage to equipment, collapse of drifts and stopes, and in extreme cases, loss of life. It is regarded now as a human-activity induced engineering and geophysical hazard.

Mining-induced seismicity has been investigated for a long time in many countries with mining tradition. The mining-induced seismicity problems in some other countries have been addressed at several international conferences [3], [4], [5], in a few special volumes of scientific journals [6], [7], and by some well-received papers and books [8], [9], [10]. In the present paper, we focus our discussion on the mining-induced seismicity in underground mines in China. According to available literature, mining-induced seismicity in China was first reported in 1933, at Shengli coalmine in Fushun City, Liaoning Province [1], [2]. Since then, many seismic events have been witnessed and serious damage to rock masses and equipments as well as threat to mine safety has brought the attention of researchers and engineers to this problem. Many research works, from rockburst mechanism study to rockburst hazard control and mitigation, have been carried out, in mining and civil engineering, and in the fields of rock mechanics and geophysics.

Significant work on mining-induced seismicity research and development has been carried out in China in the last 40 years, but, due to language differences, most of the work was almost unknown or had limited exposure in the English language. Hence, the objective of this paper is to provide a compact review on the different aspects of mining-induced seismicity in China, with particular attention paid to seismic hazard distribution, damage to mine operation, risk to mine personnel, seismic monitoring systems, past and state-of-the-art of knowledge and experience of mining-induced seismicity and its control as well as prediction attempts. Since it is impractical to describe all aspects in reasonable depth in a review paper, only the most important works will be reviewed with emphasis on the distribution, hazard, and monitoring of mining-induced seismicity.

Section snippets

Spatial distribution

Mining-induced seismicity and rockbursts have been reported at 102 coalmines and 20 metallic and resources mines [11]. A comprehensive, although not complete, list of mines with rockburst problems is presented in Table 1. About 83.6% of the seismic activities occur in coalmines and the disasters are more serious in coalmines than in others. Mines with rockburst activities are mostly located in the east part of China, from Heilongjiang Province in northeast to Yunnan Province in southwest,

Hazards to mine personnel, equipment, and production

On October 25, 1974, a rockburst at Chengzi coalmine in Beijing claimed 29 lives [36]. The event happened during the retrieve of pillars, and this was the rockburst event that caused the most casualties in China. On February 14, 1994, an ML=2.5 rockburst stroke Taiji coalmine in Liaoning Province, killing five miners and causing a production loss of 2.42 million Yuan [1]. From 1950 to 1999, rockbursts at Longfeng coalmine in Fushun had resulted in 48 deaths and the rockburst happened on

Rockburst monitoring

Seismic monitoring program was executed at some mines in China. Mine seismic monitoring has been proven as a useful tool to quantify mining-induced seismicities and has contributed valuable data to many studies on rockburst control and prevention. Mine seismic monitoring systems can be classified in two groups, i.e., homemade and imported systems. Homemade systems include DD-1, DD-2, 573, 768 analog seismographs, and JC-V100 and -V104 digital seismographs. A picture showing the JC-V104 triaxial

Rockburst research

Rockburst research in China is governed in three major directions. Firstly, research is conducted to understand rockburst mechanisms, mitigate rockburst hazard, and increase mine safety. Secondly, research is carried out to ensure the public safety through alleviation of rockburst hazard to society. Thirdly, mine seismicities in underground mines have been viewed as resourceful information for natural earthquake study and one of the keys for earthquake prediction. Many researchers have devoted

Future trends of mining-induced seismicity hazards

The minerals resource development usually starts at shallow ground and gradually proceeds to deep ground. Most mining-induced seismic activities happen at coalmines in China. The average mining depth in 1980 was about 288 m in coalmines. In 2000, it had increased to 500 m, an increase of 212 m in 20 years. Therefore, recent increase of mine seismicity is largely attributed to the increase of mining depth. By 2003, 83% and 76% of coals had been mined out above the depth of 600 and 1000 m,

Conclusions

Rockburst hazards exist in almost all deep mines in China. Traditionally, rockbursts are considered unlikely in soft rock mines, but when mining activities progress deeper, rockburst hazards may also occur. One example is Quantai coalmine in Jiangsu Province. The uniaxial compressive strengths of the shale in the roof and on the floor are 20 and 10 MPa, respectively. Rockburst happened at the depth of 700–800 m [90], [91], [92], [93], [94], [95], [96]. Rockbursts have been reported at some

Acknowledgments

This study was funded in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under the Contract nos. 40244021 and 50490271, the Science and Technology Foundation of Liaoning Province under the Contract no. 2003231003, and by the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province under the Contract no. 20042184.

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