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Long term time-lapse microgravity and geotechnical monitoring of relict salt-mines, Marston, Cheshire, UK.

Pringle, Jamie K.; Styles, Peter; Howell, Claire P.; Branston, Michael W.; Furner, Rebecca; Toon, Sam M.

Long term time-lapse microgravity and geotechnical monitoring of relict salt-mines, Marston, Cheshire, UK. Thumbnail


Authors

Peter Styles

Claire P. Howell

Michael W. Branston

Rebecca Furner

Sam M. Toon



Abstract

The area around the town of Northwich in Cheshire, U. K., has a long history of catastrophic ground subsidence caused by a combination of natural dissolution and collapsing abandoned mine workings within the underlying Triassic halite bedrock geology. In the village of Marston, the Trent and Mersey Canal crosses several abandoned salt mine workings and previously subsiding areas, the canal being breached by a catastrophic subsidence event in 1953. This canal section is the focus of a long-term monitoring study by conventional geotechnical topographic and microgravity surveys. Results of 20 years of topographic time-lapse surveys indicate specific areas of local subsidence that could not be predicted by available site and mine abandonment plan and shaft data. Subsidence has subsequently necessitated four phases of temporary canal bank remediation. Ten years of microgravity time-lapse data have recorded major deepening negative anomalies in specific sections that correlate with topographic data. Gravity 2D modeling using available site data found upwardly propagating voids, and associated collapse material produced a good match with observed microgravity data. Intrusive investigations have confirmed a void at the major anomaly. The advantages of undertaking such long-term studies for near-surface geophysicists, geotechnical engineers, and researchers working in other application areas are discussed.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 30, 2012
Online Publication Date Oct 31, 2012
Publication Date Nov 1, 2012
Publicly Available Date May 26, 2023
Journal Geophysics
Print ISSN 0016-8033
Electronic ISSN 1942-2156
Publisher Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 77
Issue 6
Pages B287 - B294 (8)
DOI https://doi.org/10.1190/geo2011-0491.1
Keywords 4D, gravity, mining, time-lapse
Publisher URL http://library.seg.org/journal/gpysa7

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