A surface seismic wave process employs ground displacement resulting from the propagation of Rayleigh surface waves, as in Figure 1, from a seismic source located in a borehole at the ground surface to initiate the operation of anti-personnel mine fuses and consequently to detonate the mines in which they are installed for ranges of up to and in excess of 100 metres from the source and hence provide protection from the hazards of accidental close range mine detonation for demining operatives. The maximum range at which the process is effective for demining is determined by the sub-surface geology of the area in which the mines are laid. A range of seismic sources of appropriate pulse generation characteristics is used. A wide variety of types of mine with mechanically-activated and electrically-activated fuses can be cleared remotely by the Rayleigh surface wave method.