Re-Using of Data on Rockbursts for Up-to-Date Research of the Geodynamic Safety Problem

Abstract

Nowadays, anthropogenic seismicity during mining operations is actual in many countries around the world. Strong rockbursts and anthropogenic earthquakes cause not only large material damage but also social and environmental impact. At that, the major geodynamic events and sudden seismic activity remain statistically rare events that makes it difficult to study these phenomena and to find out regularities. Uniqueness of their occurrence conditions and, often, inaccessibility of information contribute to such state of affairs. At that, rockbursts were known since the 19th century and information on conditions of their occurrence is available in published papers and special catalogues. It seems that use in summarizing and analysis of the data on strong rockbursts occurred in the past at the deposits worldwide could contribute to a better understanding of a nature and mechanisms of anthropogenic earthquakes which take place today. In this connection, a problem on the rockbursts data re-using for search of the anthropogenic seismicity regularities has been arisen. In paper, structure and content of the published in the Soviet Union and Russia special catalogs and international bibliography indexes on rockbursts are analyzed. The data available in the catalogs and publications can be used for studying and confirming of some studying regularities related to the reactivation of tectonic faults, presence of tectonically strained zones, occurrence of geodynamic hazard far from the place of mining works. It is concluded that repeated analysis of the data on the rockbursts occurrence at the deposits worldwide on the basis of up-to-date geomechanical concepts will allow extending the statistical basis for search and identification of the anthropogenic seismicity regularities.