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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Comments On A Draft Report By A Department Of Energy Working Group

Committee on Seismic Signals from Mining Activities

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Support for this study was provided by Award No. DE-AF01-97NN20001 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Energy’s Office of Non-Proliferation and National Security.

Copies of this report are available from

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

National Research Council

National Academy of Sciences

2101 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20418

Cover: Video image taken 6.300 seconds into a large cast shot at the Black Thunder coal mine in Wyoming. Superimposed on the image are traces of the radial (R), transverse (T), and vertical (Z) velocities recorded 5 km from the blast. The vertical bar at the right side of the traces is at 6.3 seconds after the beginning of the shot. The three-component particle velocity is represented in the lower right-hand corner. Figure courtesy of Brian Stump and David Anderson, both at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

0-309-06178-4

Copyright 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

COMMITTEE ON SEISMIC SIGNALS FROM MINING ACTIVITIES

THOMAS J. O'NEIL, Chair,

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

THOMAS J. AHRENS,

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

CATHERINE T. AIMONE-MARTIN,

New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, Socorro

ROBERT R. BLANDFORD,

Air Force Technical Applications Center, Arlington, Virginia

BLAIR M. GARDNER,

Arch Coal, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri

MICHAEL E. KARMIS,

Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, Blacksburg

WILLIAM S. LEITH,

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia

JEAN-MICHEL M. RENDU,

Newmont Gold Company, Denver, Colorado

JOHN WIEGAND,

Vibronics, Inc., Evansville, Indiana

ZAVIS M. ZAVODNI,

Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, Salt Lake City

NRC Staff

THOMAS M. USSELMAN, Senior Staff Officer

VERNA J. BOWEN, Administrative Assistant

JUDITH L. ESTEP, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

J. FREEMAN GILBERT, Chair,

University of California, San Diego

KENNETH I. DAUGHERTY,

Tracor Information, Fairfax, Virginia

RICHARD S. FISKE,

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

JAMES M. FUNK,

Shell Continental Companies, Houston, Texas

WILLIAM L. GRAF,

Arizona State University, Tempe

CHARLES G. GROAT,

University of Texas, El Paso

DONALD C. HANEY,

Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexington

RAYMOND JEANLOZ,

University of California, Berkeley

SUSAN M. KIDWELL,

University of Chicago, Illinois

SUSAN KIEFFER,

Kieffer & Woo, Inc., Palgrave, Ontario

PAMELA LUTTRELL,

Mobil Corporation, Dallas, Texas

J. BERNARD MINSTER,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

ALEXANDRA NAVROTSKY,

Princeton University, New Jersey

DIANNE R. NIELSON,

Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Salt Lake City

JILL D. PASTERIS,

Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

EDWARD C. ROY, Jr.,

Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas

EDWARD M. STOLPER,

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

MILTON H. WARD,

Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Engelwood, Colorado

NRC Staff

CRAIG M. SCHIFFRIES, Director

THOMAS M. USSELMAN, Associate Director

WILLIAM E. BENSON, Senior Program Officer

ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer

ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Senior Program Officer

TAMARA L. DICKINSON, Program Officer

LALLY A. ANDERSON, Staff Associate

VERNA J. BOWEN, Administrative Assistant

JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Administrative Assistant

JUDITH L. ESTEP, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JERRY F. FRANKLIN,

University of Washington, Seattle

B. JOHN GARRICK,

PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Foundation, Washington, D.C.

KAIN. LEE,

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RICHARD A. MESERVE,

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

HUGH C. MORRIS,

Canadian Global Change Program, Delta, British Columbia

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

THOMAS C. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

NRC Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Assistant Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative and Financial Officer

SANDIFITZ PATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making their published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Michael Barber

Director of Field Technical Operations

Energetic Solutions, Inc.

Dallas, Texas

Thomas Falkie

President

Berwind Natural Resources Corp.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Francis S. Kendorski

Divisional Director

Weir International Mining Consultants

Des Plaines, Illinois

Thorne Lay

Professor

Earth Science Department

University of California

Santa Cruz, California

Paul G. Richards

Professor

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Columbia University

Palisades, New York

Terry C. Wallace, Jr.

Professor

Department of Geosciences

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Milton H. Ward

Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Cyprus Amax Minerals Company

Englewood, Colorado

Mary Lou Zoback

U.S. Geological Survey

Menlo Park, California

While the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

Preface

In 1996, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Non-Proliferation and National Security organized a working group to synthesize the results of a research program that addressed the nature of seismic signals from mining operations and whether such signals might be of concern to monitoring and compliance of the recently negotiated Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). A number of mining-related seismic signals were detectable or visible to the International Monitoring System, which was being developed for the treaty. As such, the DOE Working Group considered measures that could help reduce the visibility of mining-related seismic signals and ways of distinguishing between seismic signals emanating from natural earthquakes, nuclear tests, and legitimate mining operations. The DOE Working Group was co-chaired by François Heuze (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) and Brian W. Stump (Los Alamos National Laboratory). In March 1997, the DOE Working Group issued a draft report and recommendations entitled Reducing the Ambiguity and Visibility of Seismic Signals from Mining Activities: Benefits to the Mining Industries and to the Communities Monitoring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

That same month (March 1997), the DOE's Office of Non-Proliferation and National Security requested that the National Research Council (NRC) undertake a study to review the draft report. The request specifically asked the NRC committee to address the following questions in its charge:

  • (1)  

    Are the recommendations scientifically valid?

  • (2)  

    Would the recommendations result in reduced seismic visibility if implemented?

  • (3)  

    Are there additional practices that would reduce the ambiguity and visibility of seismic signals from mine-related events?

  • (4)  

    How should the recommendations be disseminated to the mining community to promote their use in mine engineering practice?

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×

To draw upon the expertise and experience of several relevant NRC units, the scope and nature of the study was discussed by the NRC's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and three of its committees. The Committee on Seismology recently completed two reports relevant to the CTBT and has been involved in issues of seismic monitoring of nuclear explosions for over 30 years. The Committee on Earth Resources focuses on energy and mineral resource issues and has expertise in mining. And finally, the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics has expertise in geomechanics, blasting, and ground failures. The proposed study also was discussed by the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. These discussions were useful in informing these committees about the study, obtaining input from leading experts in several key disciplines, and obtaining suggestions for potential committee members.

The Committee on Mine Seismicity and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was appointed by the chairman of the NRC in November 1997. In January 1998, the committee met and held open discussions with four of the DOE Working Group members and a representative of DOE's Office of Non-Proliferation and National Security. In February 1998, the committee met again to prepare the report; consensus was readily achieved.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6226.
×
Page R12
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