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Detection of mine slope motions in Brazil as revealed by satellite radar interferograms

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Abstract

Differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) is a space-geodetic technique which allows minute surface displacements over vast areas to be detected with centimetric accuracy. Because of these unique characteristics, the DInSAR approach has great advantages over classical geodetic monitoring systems that allow the anticipation of high-risk situations. In the past few decades, it has been successfully applied in many areas of the earth and environmental sciences. However, there have been very few applications of this approach to active open pit mines in tropical environments. In this work, the DInSAR technique was applied to detect and monitor unknown surface displacements that may be occurring in the N4W iron mine, northern Brazil. X-band data acquired from March 2012 to April 2013 during the TerraSAR-X satellite mission were utilized for this purpose. The results were checked in the field and compared to optical leveling data. Due to the consistent deformation pattern observed over a mine waste pile, Pile W, we also performed numerical modeling in order to carry out a preliminary assessment of its theoretical deformation behavior. The results show that most of the study area can be considered to be stable. The numerical modeling indicated that horizontal displacements may be occurring, and that the DInSAR technique can be used to provide an initial rapid assessment of a large-scale deformation field, which could prove to be very useful, particularly in large active mining areas.

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Notes

  1. The coherence measures the degree of decorrelation between complex radar scenes. Decorrelation refers to the degree to which the surface changes physically and electrically over time.

  2. There currently is no clear threshold for defining a cut slope in the N4 iron mines as unstable. It is known that many factors influence its stability. According to Ryan and Call (1992), there are situations where even tiny displacements can be considered hazardous. Deformation rates of up to a few centimeters per week have been reported for the N4 iron mines.

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Acknowledgments

This research was developed under the scope of the Project FAPESP-Vale-INPE (grant #2010/51267-9), which the first author would like to thank for his Ph.D. scholarship (grant #2011/23068-4, São Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP). The author would also like to thank the Vale S.A. mining company for providing geological and optical leveling data and for supporting the field work. The author is grateful to Dr. Maurício Galo and Paulo de Oliveira Camargo (UNESP-Presidente Prudente, Brazil) for his helpful suggestions on the geometrical treatment of the optical leveling data. The author thanks the Civil Engineer Carlos Henrique Doretto (GeoCompany Tec., Engenharia e Meio Ambiente LTDA, Brazil) for allowing him to use the Phase2 software license and for helpful information about numerical simulation. Finally, the author would like to express his sincere thanks to the reviewers of the manuscript.

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  1. Remote Sensing Division, National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Astronautas Avenue, 1758, Jardim da Granja District, São José dos Campos, SP, 12227-010, Brazil

    Marcos Eduardo Hartwig

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  1. Marcos Eduardo Hartwig
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Correspondence to Marcos Eduardo Hartwig.

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Hartwig, M.E. Detection of mine slope motions in Brazil as revealed by satellite radar interferograms. Bull Eng Geol Environ 75, 605–621 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-015-0832-8

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