GeoEngSoft Technologies

Sudbury Basin Rockburst Alert

Deep mining in the Sudbury Basin triggers rockbursts. This page is an information page that alerts the general public of potential rockburst activity in the basin.

Why should the public be aware of rockbursts?

Mining companies do not want you to know that rockbursts occur.
They attempt to misdirect the cause as "natural earthquakes"
Large rockbursts are shear-slip events on existing geological structures such as faults
The geological structures are influenced by near-by mining excavations
Technology exists that can track and highlight potential rockburst prone structures

GEST rule-of-thumb #1: No mining activity - no induced seismicity
GEST rule-of-thumb #2: Mining activity -> stress change and deformation of the rock mass = mining-induced seismicity

Below is a summary of recent and historical Sudbury Basin Rockburst Activity.

Events are assigned to Mines based on the nearest shaft collar location. Where many mines are located (e.g. SB North Range) and source location errors are on the order of km's, some may be mis-assigned.

Date Y-M-D Time Magnitude Mine

2006-11-29 07:22:55 4.1 MN Creighton

1984-07-06 17:24:52 4.0 MN Creighton

1998-03-09 05:05:58 3.9 MN Copper Cliff North

1998-05-25 15:47:02 3.9 MN Creighton

2008-09-11 11:21:49 3.8 MN Copper Cliff North

2014-08-05 18:15:31 3.8 MN Creighton

2011-04-06 06:34:12 3.7 MN Strathcona

1987-10-27 07:52:09 3.6 MN Creighton

1989-10-30 20:55:15 3.6 MN Creighton

2005-03-13 17:08:14 3.6 MN Stobie

2015-01-28 06:31:30 3.6 MN Strathcona

2019-02-08 07:23:37 3.6 MN Creighton

1984-06-20 16:10:22 3.5 ML Falconbridge

1987-05-30 11:29:18 3.5 MN Stobie

1998-05-26 03:40:55 3.5 MN Creighton

2001-11-15 07:11:38 3.5 MN Creighton

2004-07-15 06:29:38 3.5 MN Creighton

2015-08-02 07:40:46 3.5 MN Strathcona

2020-03-13 19:35:42 3.5 MN Coleman

1984-06-20 14:12:27 3.4 ML Falconbridge

Rockburst Alerts

Most recent Rockburst: 13 March, 2020 - afternoon
2020-03-13 19:35:42UTC 3.5 MN at Coleman Mine

CBC Radio Report based on Vale Press Release

Too far to be felt in Sudbury

Most recent FELT rockburst: 8 February, 2019 - early morning
2019-02-08 07:23:37UTC 3.6 MN at Creighton Mine

10 January, 2016: 5:37 pm & 5:49 pm
Two significant seismic events felt in Sudbury.
Estimated 3.5 Nuttli magnitude. Distinct p- and s-wave phases - typical of shear-slip events.
Charactersitic Mining-induced Rockbust type waveforms.

Rockburts Below 2000m Level at Creighton Mine - Confirmed by Vale

2006-01-10 22:37UT (5:37 pm local) 3.2 MN (GSC)

2006-01-10 22:49UT (5:49 pm local) 3.3 MN (GSC)

East of Sudbury Basin - 47 km east of Sudbury
2.8MN - September 29 2015, 9:06 p.m. EDT

Local news (CBC Radio) reported 2.8MN 47 km east of Sudbury (CBC radio interview with GSC Seismologist). However, from experience and an engineering point of view, it is not possible, based on the amount of vibration felt at the GEST Office, that the event is so small or that far from the city (seismic waveform attenuation and geometric spreading principles). Felt like 3.0MN @ 10km distance from Office.

GSC revised the events - Eastern Sudbury Basin sequence;

09:06 p.m. 3.1MN Main Event 0, 8 km E from Sudbury

09:10 p.m. 2.3MN Aftershock 1, 8 km E from Sudbury

09:14 p.m. 2.0MN Aftershock 2, 7 km E from Sudbury

This puts the seismic sequence south of the Garson area of Sudbury.

Creighton Mine 2014-08-05 18:15:31(UT) (2:15:31 p.m. local-DST)

3.8 MN - preliminary from Earthquakes Canada, GSC, Earthquake Search, http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/stndon/NEDB-BNDS/bull-eng.php, Nat. Res. Can., {2014/08/05}.

Felt 15 km away in Sudbury at GEST office - duration about 30-60 seconds. Similar to 4.1 MN felt in November 2006.

Smaller precursor event (~3.3 MN) about 20 minutes before main event can be clearly seen on all station seismographs.

Recent Sudbury Basin Mining Fatalities

Lockerby Mine 2014-05-06 Early morning, Ground fall, two fatalities, 1980 m depth

Coleman Mine, 2012-01-29 Afternoon, Falling rock fatality, 1285 m depth