On the importance of proactive collaboration between mining operators and InSAR monitoring specialists

Cristina Vulpe, Nathan Magnall, Hayley Larkin, Andy Fourie, Johan Boshoff, Louise McNab, Adam Thomas

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paperConference paperpeer-review

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 languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics
EditorsAndrew M. Ridley
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherInternational Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Number of pages8
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2022
EventInternational Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics - London, United Kingdom
Duration: 4 Sept 20227 Sept 2022
Conference number: 11th
https://isfmg2022.uk/

Conference

ConferenceInternational Symposium on Field Monitoring in Geomechanics
Abbreviated titleISMFG
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityLondon
Period4/09/227/09/22
Internet address

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'On the importance of proactive collaboration between mining operators and InSAR monitoring specialists'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this