Drilling Active Faults in South African Mines

• The physics of earthquake processes has remained enigmatic due partly to a lack of direct and near-field observations that are essential for the validation of models and concepts. DAFSAM proposes to reduce significantly this limitation by conducting research in deep mines that are unique laboratories for full-scale analysis of seismogenic processes. The mines provide a ‘missing link' that bridges between the failure of simple and small samples in laboratory experiments, and earthquakes along complex and large faults in the crust. There is no practical way to conduct such analyses in other environment. To unravel the complexity of earthquake processes, this project is designed as integrated multidisciplinary studies of specialists from seismology, structural geology, mining and rock engineering, geophysics, rock mechanics, geochemistry and geobiology. The scientific objectives of the project are the characterization of near-field behavior of active faults before, during and after earthquakes.

(Photo ©:NELSAM)

See also:

• ICDP-14/05

Africa, South Africa, North West, Tau Tona gold mine located in West Rand

26° 24' 58'' S, 27° 25' 38'' (Please scroll down to end of page for more information.)

• Begin of drilling in September 2004

• ICDP Germany - German Science Foundation
• International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)
• National Research Foundation South Africa
• U.S. National Science Foundation

• Ze'ev Reches, University of Oklahoma, School of Geology and Geophysics
• Yehuda Ben-Zion, University of Southern California, Department of Earth Sciences
• Thomas A. Dewers, Sandia National Laboratories, Geomechanics
• Malcolm J. Johnston, U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, Menlo Park, Earthquake Hazards Program - Northern California
• Thomas Jordan, University of Southern California, Department of Earth Sciences
• Hiroshi Ogasawara, Ritsumeikan University, Department of Physical Sciences
• Ewan Sellers (†), CSIR, Miningtek
• Steve M. Spottiswoode, CSIR, Miningtek
• Gerrie van Aswegen, ISS International, Mining Division
• Susan Jane (Sue) Webb, University of the Witwatersrand, School of Geosciences
• Mark D. Zoback, Stanford University, Department of Geophysics

• CSIR, Miningtek
• GeoHydroSeis
• Geological Survey of Israel
• GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
• GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Scientific Drilling ICDP (Operational Support Group OSG/ICDP)
• ISS International, Mining Division
• Princeton University, Department of Geosciences
• Ritsumeikan University, Department of Physical Sciences
• Stanford University, Department of Geophysics
• Tautona mine, Anglogold
• U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, Menlo Park, Western Earthquake Hazards Team
• University of Oklahoma, School of Geology and Geophysics
• University of Southern California, Department of Earth Sciences
• University of the Free State
• University of the Western Cape
• University of the Witwatersrand, School of Geosciences

DAFSAM , Earthquakes , Faulting , ICDP-14/05 , Mining , NELSAM , Seismology , South Africa , WITWATERSRAND

In progess

• http://earthquakes.ou.edu/

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