The coal exploitation in the Upper Silesia region (along the Vistula River) triggers the strata seismic

activity, characterized by very high energy, which can create mining damage of the surface objects, without

any noticeable damages in the underground mining structures. It is assumed that the appearance of the

high energy seismic events is the result of faults’ activation in the vicinity of the mining excavation. This

paper presents the analysis of a case study of one coal mine, where during exploitation of the longwall

panel no. 729, the high energy seismic events occurred in the faulty neighborhood. The authors had analyzed

the cause of the presented seismic events, described the methods of energy decreasing and applied

methods of prevention in the selected mining region. The analysis concluded that the cause of the high

energy seismic events, during the exploitation of the longwall panel no. 729 was the rapid displacements

on the fault surface. The fault’s movements arose in the overburden, about 250 m above the excavated

longwall panel, and they were strictly connected to the cracking of the thick sandstone layer.

This paper presents numerical simulationsof the behavior of a sandy layer subjected to a cyclic horizontal acceleration in shaking table tests, with a particular attention focused on the settlements of a dry sand layer, and on the liquefaction of saturated sand. A compaction/liquefaction model (C/L) is applied to these simulations. The infl uence of specifi c parameters of the model on the compaction and liquefaction of a sandy layer is shown and discussed. The results of simulations are compared with selected experimental data.

Subsidence process in the rock mass disturbed by mining can be complicated and can be faster or slower depending on the geological structure and physical and mechanical properties of the rock mass, changes in exploitation geometry, and changes in the rate of exploitation. The most frequently, the subsidence process develops over years in a way that is difficult to observe over a short period (days). It has been proven in practice of coal mines in Poland that Knothe’s model describes subsidence process with high accuracy. It is based on treating the rock mass as a stochastic medium and describing subsidence with stochastic equations.

It can be assumed that, the complicated stress field as a result of mining activities induce a series of displacements of different sizes in rock mass. The inelastic deformation in rock mass is accompanied by a microseismicity that can be recorded and processed. We assumed that seismic noise with weak seismic events is a low-energy part of the microseismicity. We proposed an analytical solution to examine the distribution of the energy of the seismic noise during subsidence process development based on Knothe’s model. In general a qualitative method of subsidence process assessment by the registration of the seismic noise was described.

Since the 1970s, the Legnica-Głogów Copper District has an area of intensive mining of copper. Mining activities resulted in the appearance of induced seismic activity. This situation caused the necessity of setting an underground seismological network. In the mid-1990s, due to the great damage of objects on the surface caused by the ground vibrations due to mining tremors, a surface strong motion seismic network equipped with accelerometers was created. They monitor the vibration levels of both the land and the buildings themselves. This contributed to a better knowledge of the nature of ground vibration and the resistance of objects. In recent years, anthropogenic threats, which include seismicity induced by mining activities, are arousing more and more interest. To be able to develop test methods for seismic source physics, the analysis of the impact of vibrations on the surface and the seismic hazard, network measurement should also be developed and modernized. In the years 2014–2015, the IS-EPOS “Digital research space of induced seismicity for EPOS purposes” project, extended the LUMINEOS modern seismological network presently consisting of 15 seismometers and 10 accelerometers, with the possibility of additional further expansion. The data obtained from the LUMINEOS network complements the existing underground mining network and surface strong motion network. This allows for an advanced seismic analysis.

The paper informs about a foundation of seismic observatory at Arctowski's Station in the beginning og 1978. Descriptions of the object and of registration seismic instruments are included. Conditions of registration and parameters of instruments are noted. Registration sequence of seismic tremors from March 1978 to October 1979 is described. A preliminary statistics of tremors is also announced.

An analysis of seismic shocks from the Heer Land and the Nordaustlandet was made (shocks recorded by the Hornsund seismological station). Kinematic models and synthetic seismograms were constructed. A system of horizontal discontinuities located in the upper mantle was assumed. A good agreement between observational data from the seismograms and theoretical results was obtained.

Shear walls are the most commonly used lateral load resisting systems in high rises. They have high plane stiffness and strength which can be used to simultaneously resist large horizontal loads while also supporting gravity loads. Hence it is necessary to determine effective and ideal locations of shear walls. Shear wall arrangement must be absolutely accurate, if not, it may cause negative effects instead. In this project, a study has been carried out to determine the effects of additions of shear walls and also the optimum structural configuration of multistory buildings by changing the shear wall locations radically. Four different cases of shear wall positions for G+10 storey buildings have been analyzed by computer application software ETABS. The framed structure was subjected to lateral and gravity loading in accordance with the Indian Standards provision and the results were analyzed to determine the optimum positioning of the shear walls.

This paper presents an approach based on NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines) to achieve a seismic response surface (SRS) from a group of points obtained by using an analytical model of RC joints. NURBS based on the genetic algorithm is an important mathematical tool and consists of generalizations of Bezier curves and surfaces and B-splines. Generally, the accuracy of the design process of joints depends on the number of control points that are captured in the results of experimental research on real specimens. The values obtained from the specimens are the best tools to use in seismic analysis, though more expensive when compared to values simulated by SRSs. The SRS proposed in this paper can be applied to obtain surfaces that show site effect results on destructions of beam-column joint, taking into account different site conditions for a specific earthquake. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated by the retrieval of simulated-versus-analytical results.

The distribution of earthquake foci around the Hornsund fiord, south Spitsbergen, suggest the presence in this region of a micronode of geotectonic structures, exhibiting moderate dynamic activity. Dislocation description was applied to the processes of motion of the glacier and crack formation. Long-period seismic waves generated by the glacier-substratum dynamic system and impulses generates by icebergs seated on the sea bottom have been discussed.

A proper description of ground motions generated by seismic and paraseismic events requires gathering data of six components of seismic waves. T hree of them, the so called translational waves, are well researched and identified. Unfortunately, until recently, the remaining three components named as rotational waves were generally estimated with the use of indirect methods based on theoretical calculations. T his was related mostly with the lack of proper instruments for the recording of rotational seismic waves. T hus, rotational waves were not fully recognized thus far. Recently, several types of advanced instruments for direct measurements of rotation were invented. Based on the measurements of strong ground motions it was indicated that the amplitude of the rotational components in close distances from the seismic source can be significantly larger than expected. Apart from this, there is still a lack of analyses considering the characteristic of rotational seismic waves generated by induced seismic events. In this paper, the results of preliminary measurements of rotational motions generated by induced seismic waves were presented. Ground movements related with mining tremors were analyzed in terms of amplitude, frequency and duration.

The underground mining of coal deposits in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (GZW) re-sults in an imbalance in the distribution of the stress in the rock mass, both in the immediate and distant surroundings of mining excavations. The occurrence of seismic tremors, among others, is the consequence of this process,. The intensities of seismic phenomena, which occur in several regions of the GZW (Bytomian Basin, Main Saddle, Main Basin, Kazimierzowska Basin, and the Jejkowice Basin) are very diverse, ranging from tremors unrecognizable by humans to strong tremors of the nature of weak earthquakes (Patyńska and Stec 2017). During the period of 15 years, i.e. from 2001 to 2015, the level of seismic activity changed and de-pended on both the intensity of the excavation work and the variability of the lithological and tectonic structures. On the other hand, the seismic activity analysis has shown that in recent years, despite a decrease in total output, seismic activity and rockburst hazard have increased. One of the rea-sons was the increase in mining output. Almost half of the output came from coal seams under the rockburst hazard. This resulted in an increase in the number of great energy tremors with the energy of 107, 108 and 109 J. It has been shown that the amount of energy tremors has a high impact on the level of the rockburst hazard. Between 2001 and 2015, as many as 20 rockburst were caused by seismic tremors above 107 J with 42 total phenomena (Patyńska 2002–2016). The purpose of characterizing the causes of this phenomenon was determined by the parameters characterizing the structure of the rock mass in places where the rockburst was recorded.

The current rockburst hazard conditions in the copper mines are the consequence of mining-induced seismicity of the rock strata whilst the majority of registered rockbursts have been caused by high-energy seismic events. T he analysis of seismic activity in recent years indicates that the region of the Rudna mine is the region of the highest seismic activity. This paper is an attempt at evaluating the seismicity levels in the Rudna mine in the period from 2006-2015, within the entire mine and in its particular sections. Key parameters of seismic activity include the number of registered seismic events, total energy emission levels, and a unit energy factor. The variability of Gutenberg -Richter (GR) parameters are analyzed and the epicenters’ locations are investigated with respect to the stope position. T he distinction is made between low-energy (103 ≤ As < 105 J) and high-energy (As ≥ 105J) seismic events ahead of the stope, in the opening-up cross-throughs and in the gob areas. It appears that the risk level of a high-energy event occurrence in the R udna mine has not changed in recent years and has remained on a high level whilst the differences in seismic activity, in particular mine sections, are attributed to the varied extraction height and varied thickness of rockburst-prone carbonate layers in the roof of the copper ore deposit. The analysis of the epicenters’ locations with respect to the stope reveals that no matter what the seismic energy levels, the largest number of rockbursts are registered in the opening-up cross-through zone. Low-energy tremors are mostly located in the gob areas, high-energy events occur mostly ahead of the stope. T hus, the evaluation of the seismicity conditions in the Rudna mine seems to positively verify the relationship between the number of registered events and the levels of generated seismic energy, taking the local geological and mining conditions and the specificity of the room and pillar mining method into account.

During four Polish Geodynamical Expeditions to West Antarctica between 1979 and 1991, seismic measurements were made along 21 deep refraction profiles in the Bransfield Strait and along the coastal area of Antarctic Peninsula using explosion sources. Recordings were made by 16 land stations and 8 ocean bottom seismometers. Good quality recordings were obtained up to about 250 km distance. This allowed a detailed study of the seismic wave field and crustal structure. Three-dimensional tomographic inversion was carried out using first arriv­als from the complete data set including off-line recordings. As a result, we obtained a 3-D model of the P-wave velocity distribution in the study area. In the area adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula coast, sedimentary cover of 0.2 to 3 km thickness was found, whereas in the shelf area and in the Bransfield Strait sedimentary basins with thickness from 5 to 8 km were observed. In the Bransfield Strait a high velocity body with Vp > 7.5 km/s was found at 12 km depth. The use of the off-line data allowed for determination of the horizontal extent of the body. The thickness of the crust varies from more than 35-40 km in the coastal area south of the Hero Fracture Zone to 30-35 km in the area of Bransfield Strait and South Shetland Islands and about 12 km in the Pacific Ocean NW of South Shetland Islands.

Four Geodynamical Expeditions of the Polish Academy of Sciences carried through wide research seismic program in West Antarctica in 1979-1991. Three of these expeditions operated in the Bransfield Strait. The experiment of deep refraction and wide-angle reflection in West Antarctica focused on deep structure of the lithosphere, mainly of the Earth's crust. The network of deep seismic soundings (DSS) profiles covered all the Bransfield Strait. Five land stations on the South Shetland Islands, three stations on the Antarctic Peninsula and nine ocean bottom seismographs (OBS) recorded seismic waves, generated by explosions in a sea. The Bransfield Rift and the Bransfield Platform form a marginal basin against a volcanic arc of the South Shetland Islands. The paper presents new results of 2-D seismic modeling for network of five selected profiles. Four of them, ranging in lenght from 150 to 190 km, crossed main structures of the Bransfield Strait and the fifth, which connected the other ones and was 310 km long, ran along the Bransfield Rift. Two or three seismic models were presented for each profile. Finally, mutually corrected and controlled 2-D models of described profiles were constructed. They all presented spatial complex structure of the Earth's crust in a young rift of the Bransfield Strait, including extent of its main element i.e. anomalous high velocity body (HVB) (Vp > 7.4 km/s), detected in 10-30 km depth range except profile DSS-4 (southwest part of the Bransfield Strait). This inhomogeneity is interpreted as intrusion of the upper mantle (?asthenosphere) during stretching of the continental crust. The Moho discontinuity was found at depth 30-35 km, with velocities equal to about 8.1 km/s.

In the Fore-Sudetic Monocline area, gas deposits occur in carbonate rocks of cyclothems PZ1 (Zechstein limestone Ca1) and PZ2 (main dolomite Ca2). The location of deposits is closely connected with zones of carbonate sedimentation. Generally, gas deposits occur within barrier zones and at the foot of carbonate platforms. The outburst of rock fragments into the heading of the KGHM Rudna mine in 2009 was evidence that gas could also appear in the basin zone Ca1 of the copper deposit. 2D and 3D surface seismic surveys comprise the basic method which is applied to hydrocarbon prospecting. The main advantage of this method is the fact that P-wave velocity and bulk density decrease as a result of gas saturation of the pore spaces. As a result, one can observe anomalous seismic [records(activity?)] which can be connected with gas deposits, and reservoir interpretation of seismic data is based on Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators analysis (DHI). This paper presents and compares seismic images of gas saturation [in traps(trapped?)] in a typical carbonate barrier (Kościan gas field in Ca1) at the foot of a carbonate platform (Lubiatów gas field in Ca2), and in a porous/fractured zone in Ca1 dolomite where there was a gas outburst in the Rudna mine. Based on available well logging data and 1D seismic modeling (synthetic seismograms) this study developed criteria for identification of gas-saturated zones for each case. The results of the study provide the following basic criteria for gas saturation: (1) phase change at Ca1 bottom from negative at the basin zone to positive at the barrier zone - for the Kościan barrier Ca1; (2) the bright spot at the top of the saturated zone - for the Lubiatów deposit at the foot of the carbonate platform; (3) reflections with close to zero amplitude at the bottom of Ca1 dolomites - for the porous and fractured deep-water zone of the Rudna mine.

The solutions presented permit the practical determination of the physical parameters of peak ground vibration, caused by strong mining tremors induced by mining, in the Polish part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). The parameters of peak ground horizontal velocity (PGVH) and peak ground horizontal acceleration (PGAH10) at any point of earth’s surface depend on seismic energy, epicentral distance and site effect. Distribution maps of PGVH and of PGAH10 parameters were charted for the period 2010-2019. Analysis of the results obtained indicates the occurrence of zones with increased values of these parameters. Based on the Mining Seismic Instrumental Intensity Scale (MSIIS-15), which is used to assess the degree of vibration intensity caused by seismic events induced by mining, and using the PGVH parameter, it was noted that the distribution map of this parameter includes zones where there vibration velocities of both 0.04 m/s and 0.06 m/s were exceeded. Vibrations with this level of PGVH correspond to intensities in the V and VI degree according to the MSIIS-2015 scale, which means that they can already cause slight structural damage to building objects and cause equipment to fall over. Moreover, the reason why the second parameter PGAH10 is less useful for the evaluation of the intensity of mining induced vibrations is explained. The PGAH10 vibration acceleration parameter, in turn, can be used to design construction of the objects in the seismic area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, where the highest acceleration reached a value of 2.8 m/s2 in the period from 2010 to 2019.