Pit Slope Stability | |||||||||
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION | |||||||||
Category | |||||||||
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Uses | |||||||||
| Monitoring the surface movements during mining operations | |||||||||
Challenges addressed | |||||||||
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Geo-information needs | |||||||||
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Description | |||||||||
This product provides information on the pit slope stability during mining operations, based on the satellite-based InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technique. It provides mm-precise measurements over large areas on a weekly-monthly basis and can serve as scanning tool for the complete area above the mine and the direct environment. Depending on the satellite, up to 100,000 measurements per km2 can be obtained. Typical mining applications of this product are monitoring of ground and slope motion. The advantages are that large areas can be monitored on a regular basis, in a fully automated manner and without human intervention, providing a spatially dense view of the effects of mining operations. Furthermore, by using satellites, a uniform data format and quality can be obtained over all mines in the portfolio. InSAR is based on radar images, as acquired by various radar satellites. The products from these satellites differ in terms of number of measurements per km2, measurement frequency, price (free vs. commercial imagery) and availability. In most locations worldwide there is imagery available dating back to 2015 and for some locations even back to 1992. Therefore, it is easy to obtain a baseline for deformation of the pit slopes within the mining area and thereby context of what is or has been happening. By using multiple satellites, vertical as well as horizontal (in the east-west direction) movements can be tracked. Triggers can be implemented to warn the mine operator if ground motion is reaching pre-defined thresholds set by the regulator or when the above ground infrastructure is at risk. This allows for intervening before a potential accident happens and a more precise planning of backfilling/ground support strategies. | |||||||||
Known restrictions / limitations | |||||||||
The satellite’s ability to accurately measure surface motion is dependent on the reflectivity characteristics of the surface which is generally the case for pit slopes. | |||||||||
Lifecycle stage and demand | |||||||||
Exploration | Environmental Assessment and Permitting | Design, Construction and Operations | Mine Closure and Aftercare | ||||||
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Design, Construction & Operations:
Mine Closure & Aftercare:
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Geographic coverage | |||||||||
| Global coverage | |||||||||
EARSC Thematic Domain | |||||||||
Domain | Land | ||||||||
| Sub-domain | Geology | ||||||||
| Product description | Monitor mineral extraction | ||||||||
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | |||||||||
Input data sources | |||||||||
| Satellite | Sentinel-1 | TerraSAR-X | RadarSat-2 | COSMO-SkyMed | ICEYE-X2 | ||||
| Status | In operation | In operation | In operation | In operation | In operation | ||||
| Operator | ESA | Airbus Defence & Space | MDA | e-Geos | ICEYE | ||||
| Data availability | Public | Commercial, on demand | Commercial, on demand | Commercial, on demand | Commercial, on demand | ||||
| Resolution (m) | 20x4 | 3x3 or 1x1 | 25x7 or 5x5 or 3x3 | 3x3 or 1x1 | < 1 | ||||
| Coverage | Global | Global | Global | Global | Global | ||||
| Frequency (days) | 6-12 | 11 | 24 | 4-16 | < 1 | ||||
| Launch year | 2014 | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 | 2019 | ||||
Website | link | link | link | link | link | ||||
Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) | |||||||||
The satellite can detect very small features (~decimeters), provided that objects and/or surfaces of interest reflect well enough. Generally, solid, stable, angular objects are the best reflectors. | |||||||||
Accuracy / constraints | |||||||||
Thematic accuracy: The technique works best on solid, angular objects like solid rock, etc. Spatial accuracy: Dependent on the satellite resolution. The measurement can be located on sub-pixel level, typically in the order of 1-5 meters. Measurement accuracy: The deformation/movement of the pit slope can be determined with a precision of around 1 mm/yr. | |||||||||
Accuracy assessment approach & quality control measures | |||||||||
The quality is assessed by automated, thoroughly tested, quality control algorithms, delivering validated results. The quality of the product and the approach taken are described in an automatically generated report, ensuring high quality and reproducibility. | |||||||||
Frequency / timeliness | |||||||||
Observation frequency: Depending on the satellite, varying from daily to 24 days. Timeliness of delivery: Depending on the satellite provider, the service provider and the type of application (within 1-5 working days). | |||||||||
Availability | |||||||||
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Delivery / output format | |||||||||
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USE CASE | |||||||||
This product is part of the project’s service demonstration. Use case will be added soon. | |||||||||
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