Detection of cracks with low vertical offset in clayey formations from galleries by using seismic methods. Tournemire experimental station. First part: problem analysis and measurement sizing

Within the frame of the expertise of the ANDRA file on the project of storage of radioactive wastes in clayey formations, the detection of natural cracks which could locally alter the argillite containment properties is a crucial issue. As some previous studies showed that some cracks exhibiting a low vertical offset could not be detected in clayey formations from the surface, this document reports a study which aimed at assessing the possibility of detection of such a crack by means of seismic methods directly implemented from underground works. It reports a detailed analysis of the seismic imagery problem, the characterization of different areas of the investigated environment, the assessment and validation of various hypotheses by using experimental data obtained in an experimental station and numerical simulations. The potential of each envisaged method (migration, tomography, wave form inversion) is assessed, notably with respect to synthetic seismic data obtained by numerical modelling. Preliminary results are used to size a complete seismic measurement campaign aimed at the characterization of the crack area, and at the assessment of detection limitations of the different methods