• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2019

In underground retreating longwall coal mining, hard roof collapse is one of the most challenging safety problems for mined-out areas. Identifying precursors for hard roof collapse is of great importance for the development of warning systems related to collapse geohazards and ground control. In this case study, the Xinhe mine was chosen because it is a standard mine and the minable coal seam usually lies beneath hard strata. Real-time monitoring of hard roof collapse was performed in longwall face 5301 of the Xinhe mine using support resistance and microseismic (MS) monitoring; five hard roof collapse cases were identified. To reveal the characteristics of MS activity during hard roof collapse development and to identify its precursors, the change in MS parameters, such as MS event rate, energy release, bursting strain energy, b value and the relationships with hard roof collapse, were studied. This research indicates that some MS parameters showed irregularity before hard roof collapse. For the Xinhe coalmine, a substantial decrease in b value and a rapid increase in MS event rate were reliable hard roof collapse precursors. It is suggested that the b value has the highest predictive sensitivity, and the MS event rate has the second highest.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2016

$CO_2$-EOR (Carbon Dioxide-Enhanced Oil Recovery), one of the enhanced oil recovery methods, helps to not only enhance the production of oil, but also store carbon dioxide in underground. However, if micro fractures occur when during the injection of $CO_2$, it is difficult to make permanent storage of $CO_2$ in reservoir and can cause contamination of groundwater and soil. Therefore, in this study, we performed microseismic monitoring to investigate the occurrence of fractures during the $CO_2$ injection at the Meruap oil reservoir, Indonesia. To pick the first arrivals of microseismic events, Improved MER (Modified Energy Ratio) method was used. After picking the first arrivals, hodogram analysis was carried out by using the data recorded at three component geophones to calculate the back azimuth of events. Finally, locations of microseismic events were decided by using the results of first arrival picking and hodogram analysis. Estimated locations showed that all microseismic events were occurred at surface and any fracture did not occur around the reservoir. Moreover, by analyzing noise characteristic, we confirmed that almost of picked first arrivals were due to the repetitive mechanical noise.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.111-120
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• 2016

In order to enhance the connectivity of fracture network as fluid path in enhanced/engineered geothermal system (EGS), the exact locating of hydraulic fractured zone is very important. Hydraulic fractures can be tracked by locating of microseismic events which are occurred during hydraulic fracture stimulation at each stage. However, since the subsurface velocity is changed due to hydraulic fracturing at each stage, in order to find out the exact location of microseismic events, we have to consider the velocity change due to hydraulic fracturing at previous stage when we perform the mapping of microseimic events at the next stage. In this study, we have modified 3D locating algorithm of microseismic data which was developed by Kim et al. (2015) and have developed 3D velocity update algorithm using occurred microseismic data. Eikonal equation which can efficiently calculate traveltime for complex velocity model at anywhere without shadow zone is used as forward engine in our inversion. Computational cost is dramatically reduced by using Fresnel volume approach to construct Jacobian matrix in velocity inversion. Through the numerical test which simulates the geothermal survey geometry, we demonstrated that the initial velocity model was updated by using microseismic data. In addition, we confirmed that relocation results of microseismic events by using updated velocity model became closer to true locations.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2015

Recently, hydraulic fracturing is used in various fields and microseismic monitoring is one of the best methods for judging where hydraulic fractures exist and how they are developing. When locating microseismic events using single vertical well data, distances from the vertical array and depths from the surface are generally decided using time differences between compressional (P) wave and shear (S) wave arrivals and azimuths are calculated using P wave hodogram analysis. However, in field data, it is sometimes hard to acquire P wave data which has smaller amplitude than S wave because microseismic data often have very low signal to noise (S/N) ratio. To overcome this problem, in this study, we developed a grid search algorithm which can find event location using all combinations of arrival times recorded at receivers. In addition, we introduced and analyzed the method which calculates azimuths using S wave. The tests of synthetic data show the inversion method using all combinations of arrival times and receivers can locate events without considering the origin time even using only single phase. In addition, the method can locate events with higher accuracy and has lower sensitivity on first arrival picking errors than conventional method. The method which calculates azimuths using S wave can provide reliable results when the dip between event and receiver is relatively small. However, this method shows the limitation when dip is greater than about $20^{\circ}$ in our model test.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2017

In order to improve the accuracy of microseismic epicenter location through the inversion techniques using P and S wave first arrivals, field experiments of microseismic monitoring were performed using borehole 3-component geophones. The direction of epicenter was estimated from the hodograms of P-wave first arrivals through the weight drop experiments in which the $\times$ component of 3-component geophone was aligned to the magnetic north. The picking of S wave first arrival was possible in the polarization filtered data even if S waves are difficult to be identified in raw data. The inversion technique using only P wave first arrival times can often converge to the local minimum when the initial values for epicenter are largely apart from the true epicenter, so that the correct solution can not be found. To solve this problem, the epicenter determination method using differences between P and S wave arrival times was used to estimate proper initial values of epicenter. The inversion result using only P-wave first arrival times which started from the estimated initial values showed the improved accuracy of the epicenter location.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Acoustic emission (AE) and Microseimsic (MS) activities are law-energy seismic events associated with a sudden inelastic deformation such as the sudden movement of existing fractures, the generation of new fractures or the propagation of fractures. These events rapidly increase before major failure and happen within a given rock volume and radiate detectable seismic waves. The main difference between AE and MS signals is that the seismic motion frequencies of AE signals are higher than those of MS signals. As the failure of geotechnical structures usually happens as a high velocity and small displacement, it is nat easy ta determine the precursor and initiation stress level of failure in displacement detection method. To overcame this problem, AE/MS techniques far detection of structure failure and damage have recently adapt in civil engineering. This study deal with the basic theory of AE/MS and state of arts in monitoring technique using AE/MS.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.243-261
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• 2019

Microseismic monitoring technologies have been recognized for its superiority over traditional methods and are used in domestic and overseas underground mines. However, the complex gangway layout of underground mines in Korea and the mixed structure of excavated space and rock masses make it difficult to estimate the microseismic propagation and to determine the arrival time of microseismic wave. In this paper, experimental studies were carried out to determine the source location according to various arrival picking methods and dimensional conditions. The arrival picking methods used were FTC (First Threshold Cross), Picking window, AIC (Akaike Information Criterion), and 2-D and 3-D source generation experiments were performed, respectively, under the 2-D sensor array. In each experiment, source location algorithm used iterative method and genetic algorithm. The iterative method was effective when the sensor array and source generation were the same dimension, but it was not suitable to apply when the source generation was higher dimension. On the other hand, in case of source location using RCGA, the higher dimensional source location could be determined, but it took longer time to calculate. The accuracy of the arrival picking methods differed according to the source location algorithms, but picking window method showed high accuracy in overall.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.199-210
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• 2008

Acoustic emission(AE)/Microseimsic(MS) activities are low-energy seismic events associated with a sudden inelastic deformation such as the sudden movement of existing fractures, the generation of new fractures or the propagation of fractures. These events rapidly increase before major failure and happen within a given rock volume and radiate detectable seismic waves. The main difference between AE and MS signals is that the seismic motion frequencies of AE signals are higher than those of MS signals. As the failure of geotechnical structures usually happens as a high velocity and small displacement, it is not easy to determine the precursor and initiation stress level of failure in displacement detection method. To overcome this problem, AE/MS techniques for detection of structure failure and damage have recently adopt in civil engineering. In this study, AE/MS monitoring system, which consist of sensor, data acquisition and operation program, is constructed with domestic technology. To verify and optimize the developed system, we are now carrying out the field application at an underground research laboratory and the developed AE/MS monitoring will be used in detecting of seismic events with various scales.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.471-485
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• 2014

The monitoring method of geotechnical structures using acoustic emission(AE) and microseismicity(MS) is to detect the microscopic deformation and fracture behavior in the inner structures by measuring induced acoustics and vibrations. It can identify a pre-indication of failure by taking advantage of the characteristics that the amount and occurrence rates of AE and MS increase rapidly prior to large scale destruction of the target structures. The monitoring system consisting of high-quality sensors, high-speed data acquisition device and the operation program is required for the practical application of this method. Recently, the AE and MS monitoring systems have been localized. In particular, the developed operation software which can analyze and interpret the measured signals was demonstrated through a number of applications to domestic fields. This report introduces the configuration and features of developed monitoring system, then the challenges and future direction of AE monitoring in geotechnical structures are discussed.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2013

It was introduced a seismic mini-array that could monitor microseismicity efficiently and analyzed seismic data obtained from the mini-array that was operated from December 19, 2012 to January 9, 2013. The mini-array consisted of a six channel data logger, a central 3 components seismometer, and a tripartite array of vertical sensors centered around the 3 components seismometer as an equilateral triangle with about 100 m aperture. All seismometers that had the same instrument response were connected a 6 channel data logger, which was set to record seismograms at a sampling rate of 200 sps. During the three weeks of campaign, a total of 16 microearthquakes were detected. Using time differences of P wave arrivals from the vertical components, S-P time from 3 components seismometers, and back azimuth from the seismic array analysis, it was possible to locate the hypocenter of the microearthquake even with one seismic miniarray. The epicenters of two nearest microearthquakes were a quarry site located 1.3 km from the mini-array. The records of quarry blasting confirmed the our analysis.