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1 University of Utah Seismograph
Stations
Department of Geology and Geophysics
University of Utah
Salt
Lake City, Utah 84112
(W.J.A., S.J.N., K.L.P., J.C.P.)
2 Department of Mining
Engineering
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
84112
(M.K.M.)
3 Seismotectonics and Geophysics
Group
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Denver, Colorado
80225
(J.A.)
4 U.S. Geological Survey
Menlo Park,
California 94025
(A.M.)
* Present address: ENSCO, Inc., Melbourne, Florida 32940.
We describe a multipart study to quantify the potential ground-shaking hazard
to Joes Valley Dam, a 58-m-high earthfill dam, posed by mining-induced
seismicity (MIS) from future underground coal mining, which could
approach as close as 
1 km to the dam. To characterize future MIS
close to the dam, we studied MIS located 3–7 km from the
dam at the Trail Mountain coal mine. A 12-station local seismic network (11
stations above ground, one below, combining eight triaxial accelerometers and
varied velocity sensors) was operated in the Trail Mountain area from late 2000
through mid-2001 for the dual purpose of (1) continuously monitoring and
locating MIS associated with longwall mining at a depth of
0.5–0.6 km and (2) recording high-quality data to develop ground-motion
prediction equations for the shallow MIS. (Ground-motion attenuation
relationships and moment-tensor results are reported in companion articles.)
Utilizing a data set of 1913 earthquakes (M 
2.2), we
describe space-time-magnitude distributions of the observed MIS and
source-mechanism information. The MIS was highly correlated with
mining activity both in space and time. Most of the better-located events have
depths constrained within ±0.6 km of mine level. For the preponderance
(98%) of the 1913 located events, only dilatational P-wave first
motions were observed, consistent with other evidence for implosive or
collapse-type mechanisms associated with coal mining in this region. We assess a
probable maximum magnitude of M 3.9 (84th percentile of a cumulative
distribution) for potential MIS close to Joes Valley Dam based on
both the worldwide and regional record of coal-mining-related MIS and
the local geology and future mining scenarios.
This article has been cited by other articles:
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  J. C. Pechmann, W. J. Arabasz, K. L. Pankow, R. Burlacu, and M. K. McCarter Seismological Report on the 6 August 2007 Crandall Canyon Mine Collapse in Utah Seismological Research Letters, September 1, 2008; 79(5): 620 - 636. [Full Text] [PDF]
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 J. C. Pechmann, S. J. Nava, F. M. Terra, and J. C. Bernier Local Magnitude Determinations for Intermountain Seismic Belt Earthquakes from Broadband Digital Data Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2007; 97(2): 557 - 574. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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A. McGarr and J. B. Fletcher Development of Ground-Motion Prediction Equations Relevant to Shallow Mining-Induced Seismicity in the Trail Mountain Area, Emery County, Utah Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2005; 95(1): 31 - 47. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. B. Fletcher and A. McGarr Moment Tensor Inversion of Ground Motion from Mining-Induced Earthquakes, Trail Mountain, Utah Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2005; 95(1): 48 - 57. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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