Reliability of Seismic Moment Tensor Inversions for Induced Microseismicity at Kidd Mine, Ontario

Abstract

A novel seismic moment tensor inversion approach is applied to microseismic events from the Kidd mine with moment magnitudes ranging between –1.2 and O. Data consist of 35 events recorded on 8 triaxial accelerometers installed underground. Reliable solutions are obtained for 21 events, of which 14 represent pure shear mechanisms, whereas the remaining 7 exhibit a significant positive volumetric component (72–76%), along with some pure shear failure (15–20%). Further analysis indicates that 6 of the events characterized by high volumetric components are located within a sill pillar on the 4,700 level and have subvertical P and subhorizontal T axes. This is in agreement with the presence of tensile cracks close to openings for incipient pillar bursting. The pure shear events are located outside the sill pillar, between the 4,600 and 4,800 levels, and on the 5,600 level within a highly fractured rockmass. For the latter events, the subvertical nodal planes are found to match closely the orientation of subvertical NW-SE fractures aligned parallel to the major faults in the area.