Seismic network configuration by reduction of seismic source location errors

• Seismic source location errors can be efficiently determined for mixed 1C/3C seismic networks.
• Even single three-component seismometer can improve source location accuracy for flat seismic networks.
• Mixed 1C/3C network can effectively monitor a mine with sparsely distributed panels.

This article discusses the possibilities of improving the locations of seismic emission sources induced during underground mining works. The application of three-component seismic sensors made it possible to identify the location of sources using the propagation times of seismic waves and the directions of seismic rays. The article is a case study of Rudna, the largest underground Polish copper mine, and presents location methods that use times or/and directions of seismic wave propagation. For both methods, a discussion of location errors is also presented. The presented considerations are illustrated with a synthetic example that imitates the typical data recorded in Polish copper mines. A real example of source location for both the discussed methods of source location and error assessment is presented. The distributions of the location errors are presented for the two discussed methods for a sample panel of the Rudna mine. The best location for the three-component sensor that minimizes average location errors in the mining panels is presented. In the discussion, special attention is devoted to accurately determining the depth of seismic sources.