The Azores Archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean and is composed by nine volcanic islands. S. Miguel is the largest one and during its five hundred years of history several landslides of different magnitudes have occurred, triggered by earthquakes (Vila Franca do Campo, 1522), volcanic eruptions (Furnas - Povoação, 1630) and heavy rainfall episodes (Ribeira Quente – Povoação, 1997), killing people and damaging houses, roads and landfields.
In order to detect the stability conditions of slopes characterised by different geological and environmental settings a monitoring programme using a geodetic automatic Total Station was initiated in two locations at Povoação county. In a potential rock fall scarp composed by welded ignimbrite units an observation network composed by 12 benchmarks was implemented. To evaluate the activity of a rotational/translational slide on a slope formed by pumice deposits it was installed a network composed by 18 benchmarks for Total Station and GPS measurements.
In this work we present the methodology applied during the GPS and Total Station surveys carried out in March/April 2004 and discuss the first set of data that will be used as a reference level to evaluate future movements in the studied slopes.