Karst aquifers, characterized by soluble rocks such as limestone and dolostone, provide drinking water to 20-25% of the world's population and are thus critical global water sources. However, recent work suggests that rapid alteration of karst aquifers due to the impact of climate change on precipitation patterns may affect recharge to these aquifers. Much of the research on recharge in karst aquifers has relied on using patterns of spring discharge to quantify recharge. Spring outlets allow for continuous monitoring of discharge from karst aquifers, making them easily accessible monitoring sites. However, because springs can integrate multiple flow paths, it is difficult to rely on spring discharge patterns to get information on where and how karst aquifers are receiving recharge. Monitoring closer to the source of recharge through the measurement of cave drips allows for a more accurate analysis of recharge timing and mechanisms. In this study, I conducted recession analyses on cave drip hydrographs from a 10-year record (2008-2018) of three drip monitoring stations within James Cave (Pulaski Co., VA) to: 1) examine differences in hydrologic characteristics of the epikarst (the zone of soil and weathered bedrock above a karst aquifer); 2) quantify the storage volume of the epikarst and 3) investigate seasonal, and annual trends in recharge. Results of recession analysis show heterogeneity in epikarst hydrologic characteristics, reflected by calculations of the recession coefficient, , and storage volume. Calculations of the recession coefficient show subtle differences between the three drip sites, suggestive of spatial heterogeneity in permeability and storage in the overlying epikarst. The storage volume calculations show that during the recharge season (winter- spring), up to 95% of recharge through the unsaturated zone to the cave occurs through rapid pathways (i.e., fractures), and 5% through diffuse pathways (i.e., pores). However, during the recession period (spring-summer), when evapotranspiration is active, recharge through cave drips decreases and occurs predominantly through diffuse flow. Combined, these results underscore the importance of both spatial and temporal characterization of drip rates and other recharge inputs into karst aquifer systems. / Master of Science / Karst aquifers, characterized by soluble rocks such as limestone and dolostone, provide drinking water to 20-25% of the world's population and are thus critical global water sources. Recent work suggests that climate change may alter how karst aquifers are recharged; however, few studies have addressed this potential impact. This study expands knowledge of recharge in karst aquifers through analysis of a 10-year record (2008-2018) of three cave drip measuring stations in James Cave (Pulaski Co., VA). I used recession analysis of the cave drip record to investigate temporal trends in recharge and to examine hydrologic characteristics of the epikarst, the zone of soil and weathered bedrock above the cave. Results of this analysis show seasonal patterns in cave drips, with the highest drip rates occurring in the winter and early spring. The analysis also shows spatial differences in hydrologic characteristics of the epikarst. Calculations of the storage volume show during the winter and early spring, up to 95% of recharge to the cave occurs through rapid pathways (i.e., fractures), and 5% occurs through diffuse pathways (pore spaces in the soil and rock). Results of this study underscore the importance of both temporal and spatial characterization of cave drips and other recharge inputs into karst aquifer systems. The information gained from this study will add the body of knowledge on how karst aquifers receive recharge, which will aid in protection and management of these critical drinking water sources.

I takt med en ökande befolkning ökar användningen av energi. Samtidigt som energianvändandet ökar, avvecklas kärnkraftverken och därmed ökar kolkraftverkens användning vilket leder till utsläpp av främst koldioxid. Många industrier släpper ut mängder av överskottsvärme i naturen utan att den återanvänds. Ett sätt att ta tillvara på överskottsvärme, som annars går till spillo, är att lagra den. Om värme kan lagras och användas vid en annan tidpunkt kan den ersätta andra energikällor och onödiga utsläpp kan förhindras. Det finns idag tre olika metoder att lagra värmeenergi. Dessa är sensibelt värme, latent värme och kemisk värme. Inom varje metod finns olika system som beskrivs vidare i denna rapport. Bharat Forge Kilsta Kilsta är ett smidesföretag i Karlskoga. Deras smidesugn avger stora mängder värme som dels går till lokaluppvärmning men en del av värmen går till spillo. Skulle överskottsvärmen, som nu går till spillo, kunna lagras på ett effektivt sätt skulle både miljömässiga och kostnadsmässiga besparingar kunna göras. Syftet med rapporten är att redogöra och jämföra olika värmelagringsmetoder i en litteraturstudie för att se vilken typ som passar för industriell överskottsvärme i fallet med Bharat Forge Kilsta. Målet är att översiktligt redovisa olika lagringsmetoder samt olika system inom dessa med avseende på lagringskapacitet och kostnad. Utifrån simulering och reglering av bergrumslager och ackumulatortankar kan en passande metod, med avseende på energidistribution och energieffektivitet samt kostnad, för det specifika fallet väljas. Den mest utvecklade och kommersiellt använda metoden är sensibelt värme, den latenta och kemiska värmelagringen är fortfarande i forskning- och utvecklingsstadiet då de är mer kostsamma. Val av lagringsmetod avgörs utifrån lagringskapacitet, lagringstemperatur, kostnad, geografisk placering samt lagringslängd. Sensibelt värme passar bäst till långtidslagring, vid lägre temperaturer och där lagringskapaciteten måste vara stor till ett lågt pris. Latent och kemisk värme passar bäst för högre temperaturer då värmeförlusterna är små och energidensiteten är hög, kostnaden för dessa är dock hög och de tillämpas enbart i liten skala än så länge. Ur litteraturstudien kunde vissa system uteslutas, de system som skulle passa en industri som Bharat Forge Kilsta var bergrum och ackumulatortank. Resultatet visade att bergrummen har störst värmeförluster jämfört med den totala energin, däremot är lagringskapaciteten större. För att garanterat tillgodose värmebehovet vid extremdagar är det mest lämpligt att använda bergrummen. Kostnadsmässigt är de befintliga tankarna bäst lämpade, däremot klarar de enbart tillgodose värmebehovet i sex timmar vid extrembelastning. Om de befintliga tankarna används som system och 200 m3 tanken tilläggsisoleras kan omkring 100 000 kr per år sparas, räknat med att förlusterna skulle ersätta inköpt fjärrvärme och att skillnaden i värmeförluster enbart sker vinterhalvåret. Återbetalningstiden var kortast för de befintliga takarna, 1,4 år medan en ny ackumulatortank hade längst återbetalningstid, 3,2 år. / When the population increases also the energy use will rise. At the same time the nuclear power plants is decommissioned and the use of coal-fired power plants increases, which leads to large amount of mainly carbon dioxide emissions. Many industries get a lot of excess heat that is released in the nature instead of being reused. One way to reuse excess heat could be to store the heat in a suitable storage for later use. If the excess heat can be stored and be used at a different time it can replace other energy sources and decrease the emissions. Today there is three ways to storage heat, they are sensible heat, latent heat, and chemical heat. In each method there are different systems, these will be described further in this report. Bharat Fore is a large forging company in Karlskoga, Sweden. From their furnace a lot of heat is emitted, some of the heat is used to heat the buildings, but still a lot of excess heat goes to waste.  The aim of this report is to compare different heat storage systems and see which one is best suited to industrial excess heat. The goal is to investigate if there is any heat storage method that is effective and cost-saving that fits a larger industry. The purpose of this work is to do a literature study to account and compare different heat storage methods to find the best suitable system for the case with Bharat Forge Kilsta. The goal is to present different storage methods and the different system for each method with respect of cost and storage capacity. From simulation and regulation find the best fitting method for the real case with respect of cost, efficient and storage capacity. The most developed and commercially used method is the sensible heat. Latent heat and chemicals are very costly and still in the research and development stage. Geographic location, using area and operating temperature is parameters that need to be considered when choosing heat storage system. Sensible heat is best suited for long-term storage, at lower temperatures and when the storage capacity needs to be large to a small cost. Latent and chemical heat is best suited for higher temperatures because the heat losses are small and the energy density is high and they are only applied in small scale for now. The result of the literature study showed that storage tanks and cavern storage is most fitting for the case with Bharat Forge Kilsta. The cavern has much larger heat loss compared to the total energy, however the storage capacity is much larger. To guarantee that the heat requirements when there are extreme days it is most appropriate to use the cavern as heat storage. From a coast view it is most fitting to use the already existing tanks, however they could only cater the heat requirement for six hours of heat peak when the production is not running. If the existing tanks is used as heat storage, and the 200 m3 tank will be additional insulated, if the heat loss, in the winter, is replaced with purchased district heating as much as 100 000 SEK per year could be spared. The payback time is shortest for the existing tanks, 1.4 years and almost 3.2 years for the new storage tank.

Trona ore located in Beypazari is extracted by solution mining method with well pair connected by directional drilling technology. This thesis covers the determination of the dimensions of the initial (vertical) caverns formed in underground by use of a computer modeling (trademark: WinUbro/Poland) on the basis of horizontal and vertical leaching rates. The leaching rates were determined using the trona core samples from the ore deposit. The effect of insoluble content and the thickness of trona layer and solvent temperature on the initial cavern dimension were studied. The outcome of this study showed that the better the trona layer quality from the point of view of thickness and insoluble content, the wider the vertical cavern size is. In 1 m thick trona layer with 20% insolubles, it is possible to develop caverns of 6 m width, which is the minimum size for well pair connection. On the other hand, it is determined that the effective leaching time depends mainly on solvent temperature.

Oxide films in aluminium melts are unavoidable. A new technology developed by BCAST suggests breaking films into small fragments or particles which play a role as the grain refiner. Mechanical breakage is realised by using a high-shear mixer (HSM) with the rotor-stator impeller. In the presented thesis, the positive role of small oxide particles is shown by the computer modelling. The defragmentation potency of HSM is demonstrated by physical modelling with powders checked by optical analyses (microscopy) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The flow has been analysed by optical recording and by PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) to find the best conditions to cause a satisfying oxides distribution in all volume of liquid metal processed by the HSM. A new model to estimate the mixed volume has been proposed and checked by experiments with liquid metals. The model was checked by the PIV observations and by direct experiments in the liquid metal and is found to be in good agreement with reality. Optimisation methods are considered and a new design of HSM is proposed according to the experimental findings. This design improves the uniformity of mixing in the pseudo-cavern volume and exhibits the dispersion efficiency better than the design used currently by BCAST. Understanding and development of high shear technology for liquid metals processing is an important part of BCAST research and is of great interest for industry. Up to now, this method was found to give good experimental results but it was a lack of information about physical basics behind this process. The goal of this thesis is to answer why and how to apply HSM in metallurgy and to propose new condition and design solutions associated with the specific requirements of the liquid metal process.

Le sujet principal de la thèse est sur la recherche de bosons de Higgs de grande massese désintégrant en 4 leptons grâce aux données du Run-2 obtenues par le détecteur ATLASauprès du Large Hadron Collider - LHC. L'analyse correspondante, publiée à la conférenceICHEP de 2016 avec un échantillon de données de 14.8 fb-1 à 13 TeV, est décrite en détail. Etelle a été remise à jour dans cette thèse avec un échantillon de données de 36.1 fb-1 à 13 TeV.Cette recherche de bosons de Higgs de grande masse se fait indépendamment du modèle pourplusieurs largeurs de masse du boson : approximation de largeur de masse étroite où on supposela largeur de masse naturelle du signal incluant un effet d'interférence avec le bruit de fond duModèle Standard. La recherche de signal qui bénéficie le plus de l'ajout de contraintediscriminante est aussi présentée pour l'hypothèse d'un signal de boson scalaire. Cettemodification permet d'améliorer la sensibilité de cette analyse de 25%.Cette thèse présente aussi une amélioration du spectromètre à muons d'Atlas venant du projet deNouvelle Petite Roue - NSW pour New Small Wheel en anglais. En particulier sont décrits lasimulation du bruit de fond de la caverne qui affectera les futurs détecteurs, ainsi que lapréparation et la mise en service des modules Micromegas qui seront produits au CEA-Saclaypour l'expérience Atlas. / The thesis is focused on the heavy Higgs boson search in four lepton decay channelwith Run-2 data from the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis publishedat ICHEP 2016 conference that is based on 14.8 fb-1 of 13 TeV data is described in details, whilethe updated results that include 36.1 fb-1 of 13 TeV data are shown as well. The heavy Higgssearch is carried out in a model independent way and it is covering different signal widthhypotheses: narrow width approximation that assumes the signal natural width to be negligiblecomparing to the detector resolution, and the large width assumption including an effect of theinterference with the Standard Model backgrounds. The search that benefits from additionalkinematic discriminant under the scalar signal assumption is presented as well. Thismodification allows to increase the analysis sensitivity up to 25%.The thesis also discusses an upgrade of the ATLAS Muons Spectrometer, namely the NewSmall Wheel project. In particular, simulation of the cavern background that will affect theupgraded detector and commissioning of the Micromegas modules produced at CEA-Saclay forthe New Small Wheel are described.

The thesis deals with the principle and issues associated with operation of the storage power stations, known under the acronym CAES (Compressed Air Energy Storage). Examples of existing and upcoming CAES power stations from commercial sphere are listed and described there. The paper also includes an overview of basic CAES station wiring diagrams and a simplified calculation is performed to compare the efficiency of the chosen diagrams. In the final part of the thesis there is a scheme of so-called adiabatic CAES designed and calculated. For this type of device has been designed suitable wiring and a thermodynamic calculation of the cycle was performed for the purpose of evaluation.

Improving methods of hydrocarbon production and developing new techniques for the creation of natural gas storage facilities are critically important for the petroleum industry. This dissertation focuses on two key topics: (1) mechanisms of sand production from petroleum reservoirs and (2) mechanical characterization of caverns created in carbonate rock formations for natural gas storage. Sand production is the migration of solid particles together with the hydrocarbons when extracted from petroleum reservoirs. It usually occurs from wells in sandstone formations that fail in response to stress changes caused by hydrocarbon withdrawal. Sand production is generally undesirable since it causes a variety of problems ranging from significant safety risks during high-rate gas production, to the erosion of downhole equipment and surface facilities. It is widely accepted that a better understanding of the mechanics of poorly-consolidated formations is required to manage sand production; which, in turn, enables the cost effective production of gas and oil resources. In this work, a series of large-scale laboratory experiments was conducted in fully saturated, cohesionless sand layers to model the behavior of a petroleum reservoir near a wellbore. We directly observed several key characteristics of the sand production phenomenon including the formations of a stable cavity around the wellbore and a sub-radial flow channel at the upper surface of the tested layer. The flow channel is a first-order feature that appears to be a major part of the sand production mechanism. The channel cross section is orders of magnitude larger than the particle size, and once formed, the channel becomes the dominant conduit for fluid flow and particle transport. The flow channel developed in all of our experiments, and in all experiments, sand production continued from the developing channel after the cavity around the borehole stabilized. Our laboratory results constitute a well constrained data set that can be used to test and calibrate numerical models employed by the petroleum industry for predicting the sand production phenomenon. Although important for practical applications, real field cases are typically much less constrained. We used scaling considerations to develop a simple analytical model, constrained by our experimental results. We also simulated the behavior of a sand layer around a wellbore using two- and three-dimensional discrete element methods. It appears that the main sand production features observed in the laboratory experiments, can indeed be reproduced by means of discrete element modeling. Numerical results indicate that the cavity surface of repose is a key factor in the sand production mechanism. In particular, the sand particles on this surface are not significantly constrained. This lack of confinement reduces the flow velocity required to remove a particle, by many orders of magnitude. Also, the mechanism of channel development in the upper fraction of the sample can be attributed to subsidence of the formation due to lateral extension when an unconstrained cavity slope appears near the wellbore. This is substantiated by the erosion process and continued production of particles from the flow channel. The notion of the existence of this surface channel has the potential to scale up to natural reservoirs and can give insights into real-world sand production issues. It indicates a mechanism explaining why the production of particles does not cease in many petroleum reservoirs. Although the radial character of the fluid flow eventually stops sand production from the cavity near the wellbore, the production of particles still may continue from the propagating surface (interface) flow channel. The second topic of the thesis addresses factors affecting the geometry and, hence, the mechanical stability of caverns excavated in carbonate rock formations for natural gas storage. Storage facilities are required to store gas when supply exceeds demand during the winter months. In many places (such as New England or the Great Lakes region) where no salt domes are available to create gas storage caverns, it is possible to create cavities in limestone employing the acid injection method. In this method, carbonate rock is dissolved, while CO₂ and calcium chloride brine appear as products of the carbonate dissolution reactions. Driven by the density difference, CO₂ rises towards the ceiling whereas the brine sinks to the bottom of the cavern. A zone of mixed CO₂ , acid, and brine forms near the source of acid injection, whereas the brine sinks to the bottom of the cavern. Characterization of the cavern shape is required to understand stress changes during the cavity excavation, which can destabilize the cavern. It is also important to determine the location of the mixture-brine interface to select the place of acid injection. In this work, we propose to characterize the geometry of the cavern and the location of the mixture-brine interface by generating pressure waves in a pipe extending into the cavern, and measuring the reflected waves at various locations in another adjacent pipe. Conventional governing equations describe fluid transients in pipes loaded only by internal pressure (such as in the water hammer effect). To model the pressure wave propagation for realistic geometries, we derived new governing equations for pressure transients in pipes subjected to changes in both internal and external (confining) pressures. This is important because the internal pressure (used in the measurement) is changing in response to the perturbation of the external pressure when the pipe is contained in the cavern filled with fluids. If the pressure in the cavern is perturbed, the perturbation creates an internal pressure wave in the submerged pipe that has a signature of the cavern geometry. We showed that the classic equations are included in our formulation as a particular case, but they have limited validity for some practically important combinations of the controlling parameters. We linearized the governing equations and formulated appropriate boundary and initial conditions. Using a finite element method, we solved the obtained boundary value problem for a system of pipes and a cavern filled with various characteristic fluids such as aqueous acid, calcium chloride brine, and supercritical CO₂ . We found that the pressure waves of moderate amplitudes would create measurable pressure pulses in the submerged pipe. Furthermore, we determined the wavelengths required for resolving the cavern diameter from the pressure history. Our results suggest that the pressure transients technique can indeed be used for characterizing the geometry of gas storage caverns and locations of fluid interfaces in the acid injection method.

The region I´ve chosen for my diploma thesis is situated on the border of Poberounská and Czech-Moravian system of geomorphological unit Bohemian Massif. It used to be one of the richest uranium mining district of Příbram region, and it is characterized by geological structure of central-Bohemian plutonium within the geological complex Bohemian Massif. On the contiguity of it there is found vast hydrothermal uranium deposit. This deposit is divided into 9 panels ? Třebsko, Kamenná, Lešetice, Brod, Jeruzalém, Háje, Svatá Hora, Bytíz, Skalka and Obořiště, which belong to the Příbram district. The town Příbram is famous for its long-standing mining tradition not only of polymetalic but above all of uranium ores. This tradition achieved the great success of world standards in the second half of the 20th century. There was revealed a lot of hydrothermal dikes containing requested uranite (black blende, nasturan) after the Second World War. This raw material was heading to Soviet Union. Uranium mining works initiated its epoch in 1949 and regular mining activities finished by the closing of the last shaft in 1991. In all the period of time there was mined 50200, 8 tones of uranium ore. Uranium deposit in Příbram can also take pride in the deepest shaft No. 16 with the depth of 1838, 4 m which is the shaft No. 16. In connection with the mining there was formed the life of local people and also the life of people from all Czechoslovakia who were setting off to seek a living there. Today all the shafts are closed and deluged in a natural way. In certain area of the deposit has been built cavern gas reservoir. No other mining will be possible in the future. The state enterprise Diamo realizes revitalization works on former mining panels and monitors the value of surrounding environment.

The study of flaked mammoth bone tools from the Late Pleistocene is a topic that has inspired great interest in the archaeological community for the last 40 years. The interpretation of evidence of culturally modified mammoth bone tools has varied widely across both time and space. At different times and in different places, flaked bone toolmaking has been interpreted across the geographic expanse of the North American continent, from Beringia to central Mexico, and through a vast timeframe, from 120,000 years ago, until as recently as 10,000 years ago. The study of these purported flaked bone tool assemblages has taken many forms, and has involved efforts to understand broken mammoth bone assemblages by drawing analogies to stone toolmaking strategies, by understanding the multitude of taphonomic processes that affect archaeological bone assemblages, and by attempting to differentiate the effects of natural and cultural processes. This thesis reports on a series of experiments designed to lend new actualistic evidence to the debate surrounding flaked bone toolmaking. These experiments include investigations into the effect of different environmental conditions on the degradation of bones, the flaking characteristics of both fresh and frozen bones, and the effect of rockfall as a taphonomic process on bones exposed to different real-world environments. These experiments, paired with a body of previous research, provide a basis in actualistic and taphonomic research that allows for the reassessment of archaeological and paleontological broken mammoth bone assemblages. This thesis includes the reassessment and detailed taphonomic analysis of four mammoth bone assemblages relevant to understanding cultural bone modification and the effect of non-cultural taphonomic processes. New interpretations of zooarchaeological assemblages from Lange/Ferguson (South Dakota, USA), Owl Cave (Idaho, USA), Inglewood (Maryland, USA), and Kent’s Cavern (Devon, UK) reveal new data that revise the understanding of the nature of these assemblages, and the effect of both natural and cultural bone fracturing agencies.

L'étude des signes précurseurs d'un effondrement brutal au-dessus de cavités souterraines, dont le recouvrement est caractérisé par la présence d'un banc massif et raide, est un problème majeur pour la sécurité publique. Aussi, pour progresser dans la compréhension et l'évolution des mécanismes mis en jeu, une cavité saline, située dans le NE de la France, a été suivie en temps réel, entre 2004 et 2009, jusqu'à son effondrement. Celle-ci a été exploitée par dissolution, jusqu'à atteindre une dimension critique (de l'ordre de 180 m) sous un recouvrement de 180 m, armé d'un banc raide de Dolomie situé à 120 m de profondeur.Un système de mesures multi-paramètres haute résolution visait à caractériser les signes précurseurs ainsi qu'à suivre l'effondrement lui-même. Il comprenait des dispositifs à la fois géotechniques et géophysiques, dont des mesures de nivellement de surface et un réseau permanent d'écoute microsismique. Ce dernier, dont les données font l'objet principal de cette thèse, était constitué de neuf sondes équipées de géophones 40 Hz (5 unidirectionnels et 4 tridirectionnels), réparties autour et à l'aplomb de la cavité, dont une dans le banc raide.L'évolution de la cavité a été marquée par deux épisodes majeurs d'activité microsismique :- au printemps 2008, la reprise de la dissolution dans la cavité a engendré l'apparition de crises répétées avec plusieurs milliers d'événements en quelques jours, traduisant un changement de régime microsismique, marqueur de l'instabilité de la cavité ;- en février 2009, suite à ces observations, l'exploitant a décidé de provoquer l'effondrement, par le rabattement intensif de saumure dans la cavité. Pendant les trois jours d'opération, plus de 30000 événements ont été enregistrés (sur 60000 depuis 2004).L'étude de la signature des événements apporte des renseignements essentiels pour la surveillance opérationnelle et la discrimination de ces deux périodes. En particulier, alors que les valeurs maximales atteintes en amplitude, énergie au capteur et fréquence fondamentale apparente, sont assez stables au cours des crises, les sauts marqués durant l'effondrement, permettent de présumer de son imminence. L'évolution de la distribution des microséismes en termes d'énergie libérée et d'occurrence, calculée de manière similaire à la loi de Gutenberg-Richter, bien que souvent difficile à interpréter, a pu être associée à des hausses du niveau piézométrique, ainsi qu'à de petites accélérations de l'affaissement mesuré en surface. Pendant la période d'effondrement, le nombre d'événements microsismiques augmente en suivant une loi en puissance.La localisation des microséismes a nécessité la mise en place d'une stratégie adaptée pour garantir la qualité et l'homogénéité des résultats (sélection des enregistrements, calibrage, étude paramétrique).Cependant, l'utilisation d'un modèle de vitesse constant sur toute la période s'est révélé impossible, compte tenu de l'évolution rapide et permanente du milieu. Il a donc été entrepris d'établir des modèles de vitesse différents en fonction des périodes d'évolution de la cavité.Les distributions spatio-temporelles des foyers ainsi localisés montrent l'existence de structures préférentielles de rupture et souligne le rôle majeur du banc raide.Croisées avec les autres mesures acquises sur le site, ces résultats ont permis d'établir un scénario probable d'évolution de la cavité et de proposer quelques recommandations pour la surveillance opérationnelle / The study of the precursory signs of a brutal collapse above underground caverns, with an overburden characterized by the presence of a massive and stiff bench, is a major problem for public safety. Thus, to progress in the comprehension and the evolution of the concerned mechanisms, a salt cavern, located in the NE France, was monitored in real-time, since 2004 to 2009, until its collapse. This cavern was mined by solution, until reaching its critical dimension (about 180 m) under a covering of 180 m thick, armed with a stiff Dolomite bench located at 120 m of depth.A multi-parameter high resolution monitoring system aimed at characterizing the precursory signs and following collapse itself. It included both geotechnical and geophysical devices as surface leveling measurements and a permanent microseismic network. This one, which data are the principal subject of this thesis, consisted in nine probes equipped with 40 Hz geophones (5 1D and 4 3D), distributed around and directly below the cavern, including one located in the stiff bench.The evolution of the cavern was marked by two major episodes of microseismic activity:- at the beginning of spring 2008, the dissolution restart in the cavern which caused repeated crisis with several thousand events in a few days, this represent a change in the microseismic regime and marked the cavern instability;- in February 2009, following these observations, the owner decided to trigger the collapse by intensive brine pumping in the cavern. During the three days of the operation, more than 30,000 events were recorded (against 60,000 since 2004).The study of the event signature provides essential information for operational monitoring and the discrimination of these two periods. Particularly, while maximal values reached in amplitude, energy and apparent fundamental frequency are quite stable during the 2008 episodes, the rises of this values are important during the collapse period (prior to the peak of activity), allowed us to suppose its imminence. The evolution of the microseism distribution in terms of energy released and occurrence, calculated similarly to the Gutenberg-Richter law, although often difficult to interpret, has been associated with piezometric level rises, and with small accelerations of surface subsidence. During the collapse, the microseismic activity acceleration follows a power law.Microseisms location required the establishment of an appropriate strategy to ensure the quality and the consistency of the results (record selection, calibration, parametric analysis). However, the use of a constant velocity model over all the period was impossible due to the fast and permanent evolution of the environment. Thus, several models were used, according to the a priori known cavern evolution.The event spatiotemporal distributions, thus located, revealed the existence of preferential failure structures and highlight the role of the stiff bench, located at 120 m depth