HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MCGARR, A. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Violent deformation of rock near deep-level, tabular excavations—seismic events

BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Abstract

Inelastic deformation of the rock near the edges of the thin tabular excavations (stopes) of deep-level mines sometimes occurs violently, resulting in a seismic event. These seismic events are produced in the highly-stressed rock near the edges of the stopes and appear to be the result of shear failure across a plane; these conclusions are based on seismic as well as underground observations.

The seismic events occurring near stopes can be described using a model based on the theory of dislocations; they result from two edge dislocations of opposite sign annihilating each other and releasing energy. The instantaneous convergence of the stope that is observed to occur at the time of a large mine tremor is compatible with the observed seismic energy of the tremor, according to analysis based on the dislocation model.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Seismicity in Deep Gold Mines of South Africa: Implications for Tectonic Earthquakes Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2002; 92(5): 1766 - 1782.

				X. Yang, B. W. Stump, and W. Scott Phillips Source mechanism of an explosively induced mine collapse Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1998; 88(3): 843 - 854. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. CICHOWICZ, R. W. E. GREEN, and A. VAN ZYL BRINK Coda polarization properties of high-frequency microseismic events Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1988; 78(3): 1297 - 1318. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. MCGARR, R. W. E. GREEN, and S. M. SPOTTISWOODE Strong ground motion of mine tremors: Some implications for near-source ground motion parameters Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1981; 71(1): 295 - 319. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. WYSS The appearance rate of premonitory uplift Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1977; 67(4): 1091 - 1098. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. MCGARR, S. M. SPOTTISWOODE, and N. C. GAY Relationship of mine tremors to induced stresses and to rock properties in the focal region Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1975; 65(4): 981 - 993. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. SPOTTISWOODE and A. MCGARR Source parameters of tremors in a deep-level gold mine Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1975; 65(1): 93 - 112. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. McGarr and A. McGarr Earthquake Prediction: Absence of a Precursive Change in Seismic Velocities before a Tremor of Magnitude 3frac34 Science, September 20, 1974; 185(4156): 1047 - 1049. [Abstract] [PDF]