Mine-induced seismicity in the Kolar Gold Fields

The mining-induced seismic events are common occurrences in the century-old mines of the Kolar Gold Fields (K.G.F.) located in the Karnataka State in the southern part of India. A seismic network consisting of 14 geophones deployed on surface and underground was established in 1978 to monitor and detect seismic events with a view to locate the foci and to compute the released energy. The seismic network was established as a Science and Technology project of Bharat Gold Mines Limited in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay. This paper describes the statistical analysis of mine-induced seismic events from 1981 to 1987 and the pattern of seismicity observed at the Kolar Gold Fields. The terms ‘rockburst’ and seismic event are at times used as synonyms, in the paper.