Acoustic monitoring of block caving

A method for monitoring a block caving process in a mineral extraction processing system comprising:

• arranging acoustic sensors to monitor a block cave in a block caving process, sense acoustic emissions of falling ore being mined from the block cave that create unique acoustic signatures, and provide signaling containing information about the acoustic emissions sensed;
• and
• receiving, with a signal processing module, the signaling;
• and
• determining, with the signal processing module, corresponding signaling containing information about a 3-dimensional map which details origins of acoustic sources of the acoustic emissions, and rock progression and size of the falling ore moving down from the block cave in the block caving process, based at least partly on the signaling received.

Apparatus for monitoring a block caving process comprising:

• means for acoustically monitoring a block cave in a block caving process, sensing acoustic emissions of falling ore being mined from the block cave that create unique acoustic signatures, and providing signaling containing information about the acoustic emissions sensed;
• means for receiving the signaling;
• and
• means for determining corresponding signaling containing information about a 3-dimensional map which details origins of acoustic sources of the acoustic emissions, and rock progression and size of the falling ore moving down from the block cave in the block caving process, based at least partly on the signaling received.