AIM · Advanced industrial microseismic monitoring

The aim of the project is to stimulate and advance research in microseismic monitoring in areas of prominent social and industrial significance. The project will foster the cooperation between academic researchers in theoretical and observational earthquake seismology and private research teams monitoring a natural or induced microseismic activity for industrial purposes. The involved academics have a reputation in moment tensor inversions, interpretations of non-double-couple focal mechanisms, seismic anisotropy, ray tracing, seismic tomography and seismic hazard assessment. The industrial partners are SMEs with high-tech equipments, long-lasting experience in monitoring microseismicity and with adequate research capacities. They can offer datasets with a potential for further fundamental research. The results of the project will contribute to seismic hazard assessment of the Bohunice nuclear power plant in Slovakia, stability of rock slopes in Norway, deep-level gold mines in South Africa and open-pit mines in Canada. The project promotes synergy between four academic institutions in two EU Member States (Czech Republic, Slovakia) with industrial partners from the EU Member State (Slovakia), the AC country (Norway), the ICPC country (South Africa) and from the OTC country (Canada). In order to establish the firm and beneficial I-A partnership, the project proposes to spend 122 research-months of secondments at partner institutions (realized by 11 researchers from Academia and by 9 researchers from Industry) and 36 research-months of recruitments (2 recruits). The project will be supervised by two top experts in microseismic monitoring Prof. F. Cornet from IPG Strasbourg and Prof. G.R. Foulger from the University of Durham, who have experience with large-scale EU and non-EU projects on natural or induced microseismicity.