Identification of regionalized multiscale microseismic characteristics and rock failure mechanisms under deep mining conditions

Abstract

The rock mass failure induced by deep mining exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity and diverse mechanisms, with its microseismic responses serving as effective indicators of regional failure evolution and instability mechanisms. Focusing on the Level VI stope sublayers in the Jinchuan #2 mining area, this study constructs a 24-parameter index system encompassing time-domain features, frequency-domain features, and multifractal characteristics. Through manifold learning, clustering analysis, and hybrid feature selection, 15 key indicators were extracted to construct a classification framework for failure responses. Integrated with focal mechanism inversion and numerical simulation, the failure patterns and corresponding instability mechanisms across different structural zones were further identified. The results reveal that multiscale microseismic characteristics exhibit clear regional similarities. Based on the morphological features of radar plots derived from the 15 indicators, acoustic responses were classified into four typical types, each reflecting distinct local failure mechanisms, stress conditions, and plastic zone evolution. Moreover, considering dominant instability factors and rupture modes, four representative rock mass instability models were proposed for typical failure zones within the stope. These findings provide theoretical guidance and methodological support for hazard prediction, structural optimization, and disturbance control in deep metal mining areas.

Keywords

Microseismic monitoring / Rock mass failure mechanism / Focal mechanism inversion / Multi-scale feature analysis / Deep metal mine / Numerical simulation

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support from the Distinguished Youth Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52425403) and the Hunan Province Grad-uate Research Innovation Project of China (No. CX20230168).

Supplementary materials

Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2025.07.007.

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