Stability of near-fault surrounding rocks using microseismic monitoring subjected to mining disturbance

Mining-induced stress redistribution disrupts the mechanical equilibrium of fault planes, significantly increasing the risk of fault instability and failure. This study investigates micro-fracturing processes in surrounding rock masses during deep mining operations at a gold mine, using microseismic (MS) monitoring systems. The relationship between mining activities and fault stability is examined through MS monitoring data and stress field analysis. Results demonstrate a quasi-linear correlation between MS activity and mining amount, with increased extraction leading to a higher frequency of MS events in near-fault rock masses. Temporal-spatial and magnitude distribution analyses show a systematic decline in b -values (from 0.868 to 0.766) during progressive mining, indicating destabilization of fault-surrounding rocks and confirming the effectiveness of b -value analysis in stability assessment. Fault stability is closely linked to the evolution of mining-induced stress fields, characterized by pronounced stress concentration near the fault plane and distinct stress partitioning between the hanging wall and footwall. Field observations confirm the spatial correlation between macroscopic failure zones and high-stress regions, supporting the reliability of stress-based methods for stability evaluation. These findings provide valuable guidance for assessing the stability risks associated with fault reactivation induced by near-fault mining.