Abstract
Following the recent high profile catastrophic failures of a number of tailings storage facilities (TSFs), the need for better management and governance of mine sites gained international momentum. This culminated in the release of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM, 2020) which set out an ambitious agenda with the goal to reach “zero harm” from tailings facilities. TSF monitoring has been highlighted as one of the six key areas of the GISTM that would assist mining companies in reaching this goal. This has allowed monitoring technology providers and specialists to showcase their capabilities and enter a relatively new and challenging market. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is one recently adopted technology. This powerful geodetic tool benefits from wide spatial coverage and fine resolution. The technology requires no ground instrumentation and SAR data acquired by the Sentinel-1 satellite is freely available, making it an increasingly popular solution for remote TSF monitoring. TSFs located at operational mine sites represent 4D jigsaw puzzles of displacements. For the most part, the displacements result from operations occurring on a TSF, such as tailings deposition and consolidation, wall raises or excavations and ongoing construction activities. InSAR delivers complex data, and subsequent interpretation of this in isolation may result in a distorted picture of whether the TSF is stable or undergoing tolerable movements. In other words, uninformed use of InSAR data may produce misleading interpretations of field behaviour, leading to unnecessary anxiety. This paper illustrates the added value that site intelligence (i.e. where expected displacements have occurred due to day-to-day operations) can have on interpreting InSAR results and the importance of collaboration between all parties. Contrary to some suggestions that InSAR can single-handedly predict displacements leading to the onset of catastrophic failures, InSAR should be considered as part of an overall monitoring approach that combines complementary technology and expertise.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics |
Editors | Andrew M. Ridley |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering |
Number of pages | 8 |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2022 |
Event | International Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics - London, United Kingdom Duration: 4 Sept 2022 → 7 Sept 2022 Conference number: 11th https://isfmg2022.uk/ |
Conference
Conference | International Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics |
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Abbreviated title | ISMFG |
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | London |
Period | 4/09/22 → 7/09/22 |
Internet address |