Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Statistical Properties of Mine Tremor Aftershocks

  • Published:
Pure and Applied Geophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mine tremors and their aftershocks pose a risk to mine workers in the deep gold mines of South Africa. The statistical properties of mine-tremor aftershocks were investigated as part of an endeavour to assess the hazard and manage the risk. Data from two gold mines in the Carletonville mining district were used in the analysis. Main shocks were aligned in space and time and the aftershock sequences stacked and analysed. The aftershocks were found to satisfy Gutenberg–Richter scaling, with a b value close to 1. Aftershock activity diminished with time in accordance with the modified Omori law, with p values close to 1. However, the relationship between the main shock and its biggest aftershock violated Båths law, with ΔM L ≈ 1.9 for main shocks with M L < 3 and increasing for main shocks with M L > 3. The aftershock density was found to fall-off with distance as r −1.3, suggesting triggering by dynamic stress.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Båth, M. (1965), Lateral inhomogeneities in the upper mantle, Tectonophysics 2, 483–514.

  • Ebrahim-Trollope, R. (2001), Gutenberg–Richter relationship and mine-induced seismicity as observed at the African Rainbow Minerals mines—Klerksdorp, Proc. Fifth Int. Symp. Rockbursts and Seismicity in Mines (Van Aswegen, G., Durrheim, R.J., and Ortlepp, W.D., eds), The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Symposium Series S27, pp. 501–508.

  • Felzer, K.R. and Brodsky, E.E. (2006), Decay of aftershock density with distance indicates triggering by dynamic stresses, Nature 441(8), 735–738.

  • Frohlich, C. and Davis, S.D. (1993), Teleseismic b values—or, much ado about 1.0, J. Geophys. Res. 98. B1, 631–644.

  • Jager, A.J. and Ryder, J.A., A Handbook on Rock Engineering Practice for Tabular Hard Rock Mines (SIMRAC, Johannesburg, 1999).

  • Legge, N. and Spottiswoode, S.M. (1987), Fracturing and microseismicity ahead of a deep gold mine stope in the pre-remnant and remnant stages of mining. Proc. Sixth Congress of the Int. Soc. Rock Mechanics (G. Herget and S. Vongpaisal, eds) (A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1987) pp. 1071–1077.

  • Nanjo, K., Nagahama, H., and Satomura, M. (1998), Rates of aftershock decay and the fractal structure of active fault systems, Tectonophysics 287, 173–186.

  • Richardson, E. and Jordan, T.H. (2002), Seismicity in deep gold mines of South Africa: implications for tectonic earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 92, 1766–1782.

  • Shcherbakov, R., Turcotte, D.L., and Rundle, J.B. (2005), Aftershock statistics, Pure Appl. Geophys. 165, 1051–1076.

  • Shcherbakov, R., Turcotte, D.L., and Rundle, J.B. (2004), A generalized Omori’s law for earthquake aftershock decay, Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L11613, doi:10.1029/2004GL019808.

  • Shcherbakov, R., Turcotte, D.L., and Rundle, J.B. (2006), Scaling properties of the Parkfield aftershock sequence, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 96, S376–S384.

  • Spottiswoode, S.M. (2000), Aftershocks and foreshocks of mine seismic events, Proc. Third Int. Workshop on the Application of Geophysics to Rock and Soil Eng., Melbourne, Australia, November 2000.

  • Spottiswoode, S.M. and Linzer, L.M. (2004), Improved seismic locations and location techniques, SIM 020304 Final Project Report (Appendix 1), Mine Health and Safety Council, Johannesburg, South Africa.

  • Spottiswoode, S.M., Linzer, L.M., and Majiet, S. (2008), Energy and stiffness of mine models and seismicity. In SHIRMS 2008 (Y. Potvin, J. Carter, A. Dyskin, R. Jeffrey, eds), Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, Australia, vol. 1, pp. 693–707.

  • Turcotte, D.L., Newman, W.I., and Gabrielov, A. (2000), A statistical physics approach to earthquakes. In Geocomplexity and the Physics of Earthquakes (J.B. Rundel, D.L. Turcotte and W. Klein, eds), Geophysical Monograph 120, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, U.S.A., pp. 83–96.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study forms part of project SIM 050302 “Minimising the rockburst risk” sponsored by the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC). Mine management is thanked for providing the seismic data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR, PO Box 91230, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa

    T. E. Kgarume, S. M. Spottiswoode & R. J. Durrheim

  2. University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa

    T. E. Kgarume & R. J. Durrheim

Authors
  1. T. E. Kgarume
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. M. Spottiswoode
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. J. Durrheim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. J. Durrheim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kgarume, T.E., Spottiswoode, S.M. & Durrheim, R.J. Statistical Properties of Mine Tremor Aftershocks. Pure Appl. Geophys. 167, 107–117 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-009-0004-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-009-0004-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation