SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1988
STP25978S

A Satellite-Based Investigation of the Significance of Surficial Deposits for Surface Mining Operations

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (NOAA-AVHRR), Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS), and shuttle imaging radar (SIR) imagery have been analyzed to determine their utility in evaluating parameters of geotechnical interest. This imagery has been used to determine the distribution, structure, and form of surficial deposits in the vicinity of large-scale mining operations. The data have been assessed in relation to specific problems encountered in large open-cut coal mines. The test sites chosen for this study are in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, Australia, where there are a number of very large open-cut coal mines. Some of these mines have slope stability problems in the pit walls and the spoil piles. Geotechnically important data on structural lineaments and the location and variation within surficial deposits have been acquired using these systems.

This paper presents the results of the study and points out the capabilities and limitations of the current satellite imaging systems. It also examines the potential of the next generation of satellite systems, such as the thematic mapper (TM) and Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre (SPOT), and discusses the characteristics of the ideal geotechnical remote sensing system.

Author Information

Leach, JHJ
CSIRO, Division of Geomechanics, Long Pocket Laboratories, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia
Mallett, CW
CSIRO, Division of Geomechanics, Long Pocket Laboratories, Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia
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Developed by Committee: D18
Pages: 122–137
DOI: 10.1520/STP25978S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5040-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0969-8