Tidal tilt at Llanrwst, North Wales: tidal loading and Earth structure

Summary. Tidal tilt measurements in a disused lead mine at Llanrwst, North Wales, are used to examine the magnitudes of the local strain—tilt coupling perturbations that can be expected in mine and tunnel installations. From the spatial variability of the tilt signal and comparisons with tidal loading calculations on radially stratified Earth models, it is concluded that typical strain—tilt coupling perturbations are at the ± 10 per cent level. The general problem of using tidal loading tilt and strain measurements to investigate the elastic parameters of layered models of the crust and upper mantle is studied by examining the sensitivities of the load Green's functions to these parameters. It is shown that the load tilt essentially gives information on Young's modulus whereas the load strain, although more sensitive to the structure, depends on both Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. These investigations show that, if load tilt or load strain can be measured to an accuracy of 1 or 2 per cent, then they can be used to improve models of the crust and upper mantle. It is concluded that due to the local strain—tilt coupling perturbations this accuracy cannot be achieved in mines or tunnels and that future measurements should be made in boreholes or near surface trenches. The tidal loading models are also used to examine the spatial variation of the M² loading tilt in Europe.