Variation in fault hydraulic connectivity with depth in mudstone; An Analysis of poroelastic hydraulic response to excavation in the Horonobe URL

Ozaki, Yusuke  ; Ishii, Eiichi   ; Sugawara, Kentaro*

This study analyzed the long-term hydraulic pressure data during the excavation of Horonobe URL to estimate the variation of effective-hydraulic-conductivity. We performed the numerical simulation with the poroelastic effect for the estimation because the observed hydraulic pressure is highly affected by the Mandel-Cryer effect. The evaluation of the observed data based on our simulation results showed that the effective-hydraulic-conductivity gradually decreases from 400 m to 500 m in depth and is as low as the intact rock at depths greater than 500 m. Not only the analysis based on our simulation results but also the analysis based on analytical solution indicate the domain with different hydraulic properties in the Wakkanai Formation. These results suggest that the fracture-hydraulic-connectivity changes not abruptly but gradually over several tens of meters around the predicted boundary.