Numerical modelling of the daylight surface subsidence under the influence of mining near tectonic irregularities

The article deals with the assessment of the geomechanical and geodynamic state of the undermined rock massif in the junction zone of the Northern and Central tectonic faults of the Starobinsky potash deposit. The assessment is based on numerical simulations performed using the finite element method. The results of numerical simulations are verified with the data of field observations. Both numerical results and the data of in-situ observations indicate the absence of activation processes in the vicinity of rock faults at the moment of research conduction. The results of the study can be used for selecting technological schemes for conducting mining operations in the near-fault zones and for making forecasts of shear deformation zones in the vicinity of rock faults. The study proves that it is possible to approximate the rheological effects by generalizing the results of solving a series of quasi-static problems using the results of field observations as verification boundary conditions without explicit consideration of creep effects ly. The accuracy of the proposed method for predicting daylight surface subsidence is at least 20%.