The development of a coal mine portable microseismic monitoring system for the study of rock gas outbursts in the Sydney coal field, Nova Scotia

Rock gas outbursts are a coal mine dynamic phenomena similar to rock bursts, however, they involve the active participation of large quantities of asphyxious and explosive gases under pressure. These events have occurred in the Sydney coal field, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where they have resulted in injury and economic hardship.; Because these phenomena are life threatening and not well understood and because geophysical methods have been identified as a means of studying these phenomena, an intrinsically safe microseismic monitoring system and method suitable for underground coal mines has been developed to gather information about these events.; This thesis documents research encompassing the design and development of the intrinsically safe coal mine portable microseismic system (CPMS), and its application to outburst research in coal mine development headings advanced in virgin ground, where the phenomena have occurred.; The CPMS has provided an increased understanding of the rock gas outburst phenomena in the Sydney coal field by recording various mining activity related seismicity and by partially recording the first rock gas outburst in an advance development headings driven by machine.; Monitoring is continuing in a development heading driven by the drill and blast method in an attempt to capture rock gas outburst precursory information and more rock gas outbursts events which are required to more clearly define the mechanisms involved.