Geophysical monitoring of the cryogenic state of rocks boards and slopes of mining structures in Yakutia

To ensure the safety of operations, stability of mining structures in the cryolithozone requires reliable, sufficiently complete and timely information about changes in geocryological conditions of the rock massif in the process of deposit development. The article discusses the possibilities of using a complex of geophysical methods for monitoring the degradation of permafrost rocks, affecting the stability of faces, slopes, and spoils. The results of geophysical studies of the condition of the rock mass of the quarry face of the Khatyng-Yuryakh construction sand deposit, located near the city of Yakutsk, are presented. From May to August along the profile along the face of the quarry the measurements by GPR (OKO-2 (250MHz)), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT equipment Skala-48) and instrumental drilling were carried out. Comprehensive geophysical surveys allowed to trace the seasonally thawed layer, basal horizon, identify lenses of gravels, and assess the geocryological conditions of the rocks of the quarry face. When analyzing the data, special attention was paid to determining the depth of the seasonally thawed layer. To monitor the cryogenic state of the rock massif, a method of multiseasonal measurements was proposed, which involves the use of GPR for studies of the upper part of the section (up to 4m) and electrical resistivity tomography to assess the geocryological conditions at a depth of 1-10m.

Kulyandin G. A., Fedorova L. L., Fedorov M. P. Geophysical monitoring of the cryogenic state of rocks boards and slopes of mining structures in Yakutia. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(7-1):105-115. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2024_71_0_105.

The research was carried out within the state assignment of Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (theme No. 0297-2021-0020, reg. No. 122011800086-1) with the use of equipment of the Shared core facilities of the Federal Research Center ‘YSC SB RAS’ (grant No. 13.ЦКП.21.0016).

G.A. Kulyandin¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), e-mail: kgavrilu@yandex.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7029-0777,
L.L. Fedorova¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Leading Researcher, e-mail: lar-fed-90@rambler.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5002-6140,
M.P. Fedorov¹, Researcher e-mail: mpfedoroff@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6722-2861,
¹ Chersky Mining Institute of the North, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 677980, Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia.

G.A. Kulyandin, e-mail: kgavrilu@yandex.ru.

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