Microseismic monitoring for coal burst prediction in the Miike Coal Mine

Microseismicity induced by longwall mining has been analysed and the characteristics of seismic energy release before coal burst occurrence has been discussed. Microseismic activity was monitored by the twelve-channels source location system in the highly stressed area estimated by the numerical stress analysis, and the localization of epicenters has been discussed to be a particular feature of microseismic activity in the coal burst district in the Miike Coal Mine. It hasbeen made clear that the localization of microseismic activity may be attributed to non-uniformity of the field stress, which is closely connected with the geological discontinuities like faults, and that the potential region of coal bursts is a region of low seismic energy release and high stress concentration.