The Impact of High-Energy Mining-Induced Tremor in a Fault Zone on Damage to Buildings

• Main Authors: Elżbieta Pilecka, Krystyna Stec, Jacek Chodacki, Zenon Pilecki, Renata Szermer-Zaucha, Krzysztof Krawiec
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: high-energy tremor; mining-induced tremor; focal mechanism; peak ground velocity; faults; building damage
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/14/4112

Seismic energy propagation from the hypocentre of mining-induced tremors usually causes an uneven distribution of the peak ground velocity PGV_Hmax in tectonically complicated structures, and consequently, an uneven distribution of damage to buildings located on the ground surface. This study aimed to estimate the impact of high-energy mining-induced tremors in fault zones on damage to buildings. In the study, we describe a case of one of the highest-energy mining-induced tremors E = 4.0 · 10⁸ J (local magnitude ML = 3.6) that occurred in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), Poland. The hypocentre of the tremor was most probably located in the Barbara fault zone, one of the larger faults in that western part of the USCB. Numerous damaged buildings on the terrain surface were registered, both in the epicentral zone and at a greater distance from the epicentre, mostly from the southern side of the Barbara fault zone. We calculated that the tremor was characterised by a normal slip mechanism associated with the same kind of fault as the Barbara fault. The azimuth of the nodal planes was similar to the west-east direction, which is consistent with the azimuth of the Barbara fault. From the focal mechanism, the greatest propagation of seismic energy occurred in south and west-east directions from the tremor hypocentre towards the surface. It was found that from the northern side of the hanging wall of the Barbara fault, there were 14 instances of damage (19%), and in the southern part of a hanging wall, there were 58 (81%). Therefore, the directionality of seismic energy propagation is aligned with the focal mechanism acting in the Barbara fault. It has also been concluded that a width of the zone of up to about 1200 m along the Barbara fault is the most threatening on the basis of registered building damage in the geological conditions of USCB. The study has shown that in assessing the impact of mining-induced tremors on buildings and the environment, the disturbance of seismic energy propagation by larger faults should be considered.