Studies of in Situ Pore Pressure Fluctuations At Various Scales études des fluctuations in situ de la pression de pore à différentes échelles

Pore pressure fluctuations in fluid saturated geological formations, either of natural or anthropogenic origin, can be observed at different scales. Natural fluctuations, e. g. , due to tidal, barometric or seismogenic forcing, or man-made effects as through use of underground fluid reservoirs, or initial filling and cyclic loading of lake reservoirs may have wavelengths from meters to kilometers. In situ monitoring of processes, in which both rock deformation and pore pressure changes are significant, improves our knowledge on the mechanical behaviour and the role of pore pressure in porous rocks and sedimentary layers. Pressure transducers for continuous recording of fluid level variations in wells, reflecting pore pressure changes at depth, or borehole tiltmeters that are sensitive to ground deformation caused by gradients of pore pressure fluctuations are relatively simple means to trace the dynamics of such rock-fluid interactions. The obtained data series are usually interpreted in two ways: by application of analytical solutions-adopting homogeneous poroelastic conditions or single fracture models in a uniform, elastic medium-and by simulation through numerical calculations allowing for some heterogeneity in the model volume. Field cases presented in this article include tilt measurements in the vicinity of pumped wells (1 to 100 m scale), fluid level monitoring in wells (borehole scale), and studies of pore pressure effects induced by seismic events (1 to 100 km scale). Specific rock parameters that can be constrained are the Skempton ratio, the hydraulic diffusivity, and the type of the effective rheology. In cases of tiltmeter studies, anisotropy of pore fluid flow can also be detected. Keywords: fluids in rocks, pore pressure, poroelasticity, hydrology. Les fluctuations de la pression de pore dans les formations géologiques saturées en fluides, d'origine naturelle ou anthropogéniques, peuvent être observées à différentes échelles. Les fluctuations naturelles, par exemple celles d'origine sismique, barométrique ou marémotrice, ainsi que les effets provoqués par l'exploitation de réservoirs de fluides souterrains par l'homme, ou encore les chargements initiaux et cycliques de lacs servant de réservoirs, peuvent avoir des longueurs d'ondes allant du mètre au kilomètre. Le contr le in situ des processus, pour lesquels la déformation de la roche ainsi que les variations de pression sont significatives, améliore notre connaissance sur la réaction mécanique et sur le r le de la pression de pore dans les roches poreuses et les couches sédimentaires. L