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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  Magnitude Mine

2006-11-29  4.1MN Creighton  
1984-07-06  4.0MN Creighton  
1998-05-25  3.9MN Copper Cliff North 
1998-03-09  3.9MN Creighton  
2014-08-05  3.8MN Creighton  
2008-09-11  3.8MN Copper Cliff North  
2021-01-15  3.7MN Creighton  
2011-04-06  3.7MN Strathcona  
2020-04-23  3.6MN Creighton  
2019-02-08  3.6MN Creighton  
2015-01-28  3.6MN Strathcona  
2005-03-13  3.6MN Stobie 
1989-10-30  3.6MN Creighton  
1987-10-27  3.6MN Creighton  
2022-03-15  3.5MN Coleman/McCreedy East 
2020-03-13  3.5MN Coleman/McCreedy East 
2015-08-02  3.5MN Strathcona  
2004-07-15  3.5MN Creighton  
2001-11-15  3.5MN Creighton  
1998-05-25  3.5MN Creighton  
1987-05-30  3.5MN Stobie 
1984-06-20  3.5ML Falconbridge  
1984-06-20  3.4ML 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