A gravimetric assessment of the Gotthard Base Tunnel geological model: insights from a novel gravity terrain-adaptation correction and rock physics data

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985530%3A_____%2F22%3A00564309" target="_blank" >RIV/67985530:_____/22:00564309 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s00015-022-00422-z" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s00015-022-00422-z</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s00015-022-00422-z" target="_blank" >10.1186/s00015-022-00422-z</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

A gravimetric assessment of the Gotthard Base Tunnel geological model: insights from a novel gravity terrain-adaptation correction and rock physics data

Original language description

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) is a 57 km long railway tunnel, constructed in the Central Alps in Switzerland and extending mainly North-South across numerous geological units. We acquired 80 new gravity data points at the surface along the GBT profile and used 77 gravity measurements in the tunnel to test and constrain the shallow crustal, km-scale geological model established during the tunnel construction. To this end, we developed a novel processing scheme, which computes a fully 3D, density-dependent gravity terrain-adaptation correction (TAC), to consistently compare the gravity observations with the 2D geological model structure, the latter converted into a density model. This approach allowed to explore and quantify candidate rock density distributions along the GBT modelled profile in a computationally-efficient manner, and to test whether a reasonable fit can be found without structural modification of the geological model. The tested density data for the various lithologies were compiled from the SAPHYR rock physical property database. The tested models were evaluated both in terms of misfit between observed and synthetic gravity data, and also in terms of correlation between misfit trend and topography of the target profile. The results indicate that the locally sampled densities provide a better fit to the data for the considered lithologies, rather than density data averaged over a wider set of Alpine rock samples for the same lithology. Furthermore, using one homogeneous and constant density value for all the topographic corrections does not provide an optimal fit to the data, which instead confirms density variations along the profile. Structurally, a satisfactory fit could be found without modifying the 2D geological model, which thus can be considered gravimetry-proof. From a more general perspective, the gravity data processing routines and the density-dependent corrections developed in this case study represent a remarkable potential for further high-resolution gravity investigations of geological structures.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10507 - Volcanology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Swiss Journal of Geosciences

ISSN

1661-8726

e-ISSN

1661-8734

Volume of the periodical

115

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

21

Pages from-to

22

UT code for WoS article

000881998000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85141848505