Pumping Induced Pore Pressure Changes in Tilt Measurements Near a Fault Zone in Mizunami, Japan

Abstract

Tilt meters are a widely used tool for monitoring long-term and small-scale deformations. Therefore, they are perfectly suited to test potential subsurface waste repositories. Since November 2005 a high sensitive tilt meter of the ASKANIA-type is recording at a distance of 300 m from Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory, where two vertical shafts are under construction. During the construction of those shafts large pumps were used to reduce the groundwater level, leading to two large- and several small-scale pore pressure induced tilt signals. Due to the fault system nearby, the tilt direction does not coincide with the direction towards the pump as would be expected in homogeneous media. In this study we analyze the main surface tilt direction caused by pore pressure induced deformation. Our results show two main directions which are both nearly perpendicular to the fault. Also, the long-term signals show a high correlation with the short-term pore pressure induced tilt signals.