Unconventional Three-Dimensional Active Seismic Tomography Applied in the Lousal Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal)

Abstract

The Lousal Mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal) was operated from 1900 to 1988 for the extraction of massive sulphides and was later rehabilitated as a science museum. It was selected as a test site for underground muon tomography applied to geophysical surveys, as part of the LouMu project. This study focuses on seismic tomography to analyse the sub- surface above the mine gallery, primarily surveyed by a muography telescope, which was developed specifically for this site by the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics. To validate the muon tomography results, an initial approach using con- ventional 2D seismic refraction failed to reach the Waldemar gallery depth, due to lim- ited seismic ray coverage. Therefore, an innovative setup using surface shots and in-gallery geophones was implemented, providing full ray coverage. A 3D velocity model was then produced using the ATOM3D code, which enabled the integration of this configuration and performed travel-time inversion for velocity calculation. A regional dextral strike-slip fault, the Corona Fault (CF), crosses the surveyed area, and served as the main focus of this investigation. The 3D velocity model successfully detected this structure, that corre- sponded to the boundary between positive anomalies of the Volcano-Sedimentary Com- plex (VSC) and negative anomalies of the Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQG). The absolute velocity distribution showed a distinct offset around the Corona Fault (CF), indicating a dextral strike-slip mechanism. A subvertical extension of secondary faults was observed, reflecting deformation similar to that of the main tectonic context. Previous data from the gallery confirmed that these results are consistent with the known geology and can serve as a reference for the muon tomography interpretations.