The contribution of remotely sensed data to the stress state evaluation in underground marble quarries

Abstract

An in-depth knowledge of the geostructural characteristics of the territory is fundamental for optimizing the design of artificial structures. Feasibility, costs, duration, and issues of the works are strictly correlated with the geological, geomechanical, and in situ stress features of the area. Remotely sensed data represent a source of information for detecting tectonic structures that can be complementary to traditional surveys, with the advantage of being cheaper, of covering large areas and of reducing time for surveying. The study of the regional tectonic setting together with local structural features is fundamental to define the far-field tectonic stress and for correctly modeling the induced stress during excavation activities and monitoring stress variations. A multiscale and multidisciplinary approach was set up and applied to an area in the Alpi Apuane marble district (Tuscany, Italy). Visually and semi-automatically detected geological structures were analyzed and correlated to data from in-situ measurements in four underground marble quarries, to define the far-field stress state. This study is also an attempt to bridge the gap between structural geology analysis and remotely sensed data for far-field stress definition, correlating on-field kinematic observations and in situ stress measurements.