Response of seismic activity in mines to the stress changes due to mining induced strong seismic events

The influence of the static stress transfer due to two stronger seismic events from one mine section on subsequent seismicity linked to the same section is studied. The first strong tremor was provoked by destressing blasting. The static stress transfer caused by this tremor had apparently a triggering effect for the occurrence of the second strong event. This second event occurred in less than three weeks after the first one and on the area of simultaneous enhancement of both shear and normal components of the Coulomb stress change, caused by the first event. It appears also that in the next few months the cumulative stress change due to both the events influenced significantly the location and rate of smaller subsequent events. Interestingly, contrary to the results of previous analyses, the negative Coulomb stress changes turn out to have a major role in this respect. The coseismic stress change impact even seems to prevail over the influence of time-varying stress alteration caused by advancement of the mining front.

► The mining-induced seismic process after the occurrence of two stronger tremors is studied.
► We test the influence of Coulomb stress changes due to strong events on subsequent seismicity.
► The distribution of Coulomb stress changes is compared with event locations.
► The static stress transfer due to coseismic slip of stronger events modifies the seismic generation process in mines.
► The Coulomb stress changes can influence both the event location and the rate of the seismicity.