Mining Publication: Seismic Monitoring Strategies for Deep Longwall Coal Mines
Original creation date: September 2016
This report presents five strategies for detecting and recording seismic activity associated with deep longwall coal mining:
- Single-station monitoring
- Augmentation of an existing regional seismic network
- Temporary network deployment
- Implementation of a mine-wide or district-wide network
- Installation of a dense microseismic network
These strategies take into consideration: (1) the variety of potential objectives for seismic monitoring, (2) the notable contrast of coal mining environments with conditions in hardrock mines, where these techniques were originally developed, (3) the enormous range in magnitude and physical size of seismic events, and (4) the significant variation in expense and complexity of the different approaches. The strategies range from simple and inexpensive methods that can be implemented on the surface by a mining engineer to complex and expensive endeavors requiring involvement by underground mine personnel and monitoring-system suppliers. This report provides example monitoring results from deep longwall coal mines, and describes the capabilities and limitations of each of the five suggested approaches.
Authors: PL Swanson, MS Boltz, DJ Chambers
Report of Investigations - September 2016
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20048758
Spokane, WA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
See Also
- Coal Mine Safety Applications of Seismic Monitoring
- Deep Coal Mine Safety Studies to Promote Development of Recommendations for Deep Coal Mine Safety through Monitoring Seismic Events
- Degasification System Selection for U.S. Longwall Mines Using an Expert Classification System
- Horizontal Stress and Longwall Headgate Ground Control
- International Experience with Longwall Mining into Pre-Driven Rooms
- Local Earthquake Tomography for Imaging Mining-Induced Changes Within the Overburden above a Longwall Mine
- Microseismic Activity Associated With a Deep Longwall Coal Mine
- Multiple Seam Longwall Mining in the U.S. - Lessons for Ground Control
- Rock Bursting and Seismicity During Ramp Development, Lucky Friday Mine, Mullan, Idaho
- Seismic Event Data Acquisition and Processing: Distribution and Coordination Across PC-Based Networks
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program