title of the thesis - Department of Geology - Queen's University

are, at this time, in the process of being calibrated with the HDDR, which will allow for source
parameters to be calculated for each macroseismic event in the future.
3.2 Event Characterization and Classification
Seismic events can be simply described in terms of location, time of occurrence and magnitude.
The events can be classified as microseismic events, macroseismic events or blasts. Microseismic
events have magnitudes less than 0 m N . Macroseismic events have magnitudes greater than 0 m N .
Such events are either large seismic events or rockbursts that are detected by the HDDR system.
Mining-induced events (microseismic and macroseismic) can be further classified by their
triggering mechanisms. Within the study area, two types of microseismic events are observed. 1)
Blast-induced events can be categorized as development or production-related events. Events
related to development cluster around drifts and progress in time and space with the development
of mine infrastructure (Fig. 3.1A). Events related to production are more energetic and cluster
spatially and temporally around blast sites (Fig. 3.1B). Blast-induced events occur immediately
following a blast and dissipate quickly. 2) Stress-induced events are more randomly distributed.
They occur at larger time delays following blasts, often hours or days. Such events are generally
located remote from excavations and are often associated with geological structure though they
need not be related. It is this second category that is of interest since the time and location of such
events are not predictable. Within Creighton Mine such events occur in a distinct zone
surrounding the main excavation.
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