Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Wei Tang
  • Mahdi Motagh
  • Wei Zhan

External Research Organisations

  • China University of Mining And Technology
  • Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
  • China Earthquake Administration (CEA)
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number102217
JournalInternational journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation
Volume93
Early online date18 Aug 2020
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020

Abstract

With the recent progress in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, especially the new generation of SAR satellites (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X), our ability to assess slope stability in open-pit mines has significantly improved. The main objective of this work is to map ground displacement and slope instability over three open-pit mines, namely, Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden, in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany to provide long-term monitoring solutions for open-pit mining operations and their surroundings. Three SAR datasets, including Sentinel-1A data in ascending and descending orbits and TerraSAR-X data in a descending orbit, were processed by a modified small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm, called coherence-based SBAS, to retrieve ground displacement related to the three open-pit mines and their surroundings. Despite the continuously changing topography over these active open-pit mines, the small perpendicular baselines of both Sentinel-1A and TerraSAR-X data were not affected by DEM errors and hence could yield accurate estimates of surface displacement. Significant land subsidence was observed over reclaimed areas, with rates exceeding 500 mm/yr, 380 mm/yr, and 310 mm/yr for the Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden mine, respectively. The compaction process of waste materials is the main contributor to land subsidence. Land uplift was found over the areas near the active working parts of the mines, which was probably due to excavation activities. Horizontal displacement retrieved from the combination of ascending and descending data was analysed, revealing an eastward movement with a maximum rate of ∼120 mm/yr on the western flank and a westward movement with a maximum rate of ∼ 60 mm/yr on the eastern flank of the pit. Former open-pit mines Fortuna-Garsdorf and Berghein in the eastern part of Rhenish coalfields, already reclaimed for agriculture, also show subsidence, at locations reaching 150 mm/yr. The interferometric results were compared, whenever possible, with groundwater information to analyse the possible reasons for ground deformation over the mines and their surroundings.

Keywords

    ground deformation, InSAR, open-pit mine, slope instability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method. / Tang, Wei; Motagh, Mahdi; Zhan, Wei.
In: International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation, Vol. 93, 102217, 12.2020.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Tang, W, Motagh, M & Zhan, W 2020, 'Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method', International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation, vol. 93, 102217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2020.102217
Tang, W., Motagh, M., & Zhan, W. (2020). Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method. International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation, 93, Article 102217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2020.102217
Tang W, Motagh M, Zhan W. Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method. International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation. 2020 Dec;93:102217. Epub 2020 Aug 18. doi: 10.1016/j.jag.2020.102217
Tang, Wei ; Motagh, Mahdi ; Zhan, Wei. / Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method. In: International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation. 2020 ; Vol. 93.
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title = "Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method",
abstract = "With the recent progress in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, especially the new generation of SAR satellites (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X), our ability to assess slope stability in open-pit mines has significantly improved. The main objective of this work is to map ground displacement and slope instability over three open-pit mines, namely, Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden, in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany to provide long-term monitoring solutions for open-pit mining operations and their surroundings. Three SAR datasets, including Sentinel-1A data in ascending and descending orbits and TerraSAR-X data in a descending orbit, were processed by a modified small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm, called coherence-based SBAS, to retrieve ground displacement related to the three open-pit mines and their surroundings. Despite the continuously changing topography over these active open-pit mines, the small perpendicular baselines of both Sentinel-1A and TerraSAR-X data were not affected by DEM errors and hence could yield accurate estimates of surface displacement. Significant land subsidence was observed over reclaimed areas, with rates exceeding 500 mm/yr, 380 mm/yr, and 310 mm/yr for the Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden mine, respectively. The compaction process of waste materials is the main contributor to land subsidence. Land uplift was found over the areas near the active working parts of the mines, which was probably due to excavation activities. Horizontal displacement retrieved from the combination of ascending and descending data was analysed, revealing an eastward movement with a maximum rate of ∼120 mm/yr on the western flank and a westward movement with a maximum rate of ∼ 60 mm/yr on the eastern flank of the pit. Former open-pit mines Fortuna-Garsdorf and Berghein in the eastern part of Rhenish coalfields, already reclaimed for agriculture, also show subsidence, at locations reaching 150 mm/yr. The interferometric results were compared, whenever possible, with groundwater information to analyse the possible reasons for ground deformation over the mines and their surroundings.",
keywords = "ground deformation, InSAR, open-pit mine, slope instability",
author = "Wei Tang and Mahdi Motagh and Wei Zhan",
note = "Funding Information: The first author gratefully acknowledges financial support from Sino-German (CSC-German) postdoc scholarship program to pursue one year of research at GFZ. This research was also partially supported by the National Key R & D Program of China (Grant number 2018YFC1503606), funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, by Open Fund of State Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University (Grant No. 17R03) and by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2020YQDC06). TerraSAR-X data are copyright German Aerospace Agency (DLR) and were provided under the proposal motagh_GEO1371. The Copernicus Sentinel data were provided by ESA. For groundwater data, we acknowledge Anke Boockmeyer from Landesamt f?r Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW. Some of the figures were generated using Generic Mapping Tools (Wessel et al. 2019).",
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Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method

AU - Tang, Wei

AU - Motagh, Mahdi

AU - Zhan, Wei

N1 - Funding Information: The first author gratefully acknowledges financial support from Sino-German (CSC-German) postdoc scholarship program to pursue one year of research at GFZ. This research was also partially supported by the National Key R & D Program of China (Grant number 2018YFC1503606), funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, by Open Fund of State Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University (Grant No. 17R03) and by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2020YQDC06). TerraSAR-X data are copyright German Aerospace Agency (DLR) and were provided under the proposal motagh_GEO1371. The Copernicus Sentinel data were provided by ESA. For groundwater data, we acknowledge Anke Boockmeyer from Landesamt f?r Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW. Some of the figures were generated using Generic Mapping Tools (Wessel et al. 2019).

PY - 2020/12

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N2 - With the recent progress in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, especially the new generation of SAR satellites (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X), our ability to assess slope stability in open-pit mines has significantly improved. The main objective of this work is to map ground displacement and slope instability over three open-pit mines, namely, Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden, in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany to provide long-term monitoring solutions for open-pit mining operations and their surroundings. Three SAR datasets, including Sentinel-1A data in ascending and descending orbits and TerraSAR-X data in a descending orbit, were processed by a modified small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm, called coherence-based SBAS, to retrieve ground displacement related to the three open-pit mines and their surroundings. Despite the continuously changing topography over these active open-pit mines, the small perpendicular baselines of both Sentinel-1A and TerraSAR-X data were not affected by DEM errors and hence could yield accurate estimates of surface displacement. Significant land subsidence was observed over reclaimed areas, with rates exceeding 500 mm/yr, 380 mm/yr, and 310 mm/yr for the Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden mine, respectively. The compaction process of waste materials is the main contributor to land subsidence. Land uplift was found over the areas near the active working parts of the mines, which was probably due to excavation activities. Horizontal displacement retrieved from the combination of ascending and descending data was analysed, revealing an eastward movement with a maximum rate of ∼120 mm/yr on the western flank and a westward movement with a maximum rate of ∼ 60 mm/yr on the eastern flank of the pit. Former open-pit mines Fortuna-Garsdorf and Berghein in the eastern part of Rhenish coalfields, already reclaimed for agriculture, also show subsidence, at locations reaching 150 mm/yr. The interferometric results were compared, whenever possible, with groundwater information to analyse the possible reasons for ground deformation over the mines and their surroundings.

AB - With the recent progress in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, especially the new generation of SAR satellites (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X), our ability to assess slope stability in open-pit mines has significantly improved. The main objective of this work is to map ground displacement and slope instability over three open-pit mines, namely, Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden, in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany to provide long-term monitoring solutions for open-pit mining operations and their surroundings. Three SAR datasets, including Sentinel-1A data in ascending and descending orbits and TerraSAR-X data in a descending orbit, were processed by a modified small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm, called coherence-based SBAS, to retrieve ground displacement related to the three open-pit mines and their surroundings. Despite the continuously changing topography over these active open-pit mines, the small perpendicular baselines of both Sentinel-1A and TerraSAR-X data were not affected by DEM errors and hence could yield accurate estimates of surface displacement. Significant land subsidence was observed over reclaimed areas, with rates exceeding 500 mm/yr, 380 mm/yr, and 310 mm/yr for the Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden mine, respectively. The compaction process of waste materials is the main contributor to land subsidence. Land uplift was found over the areas near the active working parts of the mines, which was probably due to excavation activities. Horizontal displacement retrieved from the combination of ascending and descending data was analysed, revealing an eastward movement with a maximum rate of ∼120 mm/yr on the western flank and a westward movement with a maximum rate of ∼ 60 mm/yr on the eastern flank of the pit. Former open-pit mines Fortuna-Garsdorf and Berghein in the eastern part of Rhenish coalfields, already reclaimed for agriculture, also show subsidence, at locations reaching 150 mm/yr. The interferometric results were compared, whenever possible, with groundwater information to analyse the possible reasons for ground deformation over the mines and their surroundings.

KW - ground deformation

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