Underground and opencast mining adversely affects the surrounding environment. This process may continue even decades after the end of actual mineral extraction. One of the most significant effects of ceased mining are secondary deformations. Safe, new development of post-mining areas requires reliable information on potential deformation risk zones, which may be difficult to obtain due to a lack of necessary data. This study aimed to investigate and understand the secondary deformation processes in the underground mining area of the former “Babina” lignite mine, located in the unique glaciotectonic environment of the Muskau Arch, in western Poland. A combination of GIS-based historical mapping, geophysical 2D/3D microgravimetry, and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) measurements allowed the identification of subsidence-prone areas and the determination of potential factors of sinkhole development. The latter are associated with anthropogenic transformation of rock mass and hydrogeological conditions, by shallow underground mining. The results confirmed that multi-level mining of coal deposits in complex and complicated glaciotectonic conditions cause discontinuous deformations, and may be hazardous as long as 50 years after the end of mining operations.
Mining operations cause negative changes in the environment. Therefore, such areas require constant monitoring, which can benefit from remote sensing data. In this article, research was carried out on the environmental impact of underground hard coal mining in the Bogdanka mine, located in the southeastern Poland. For this purpose, spectral indexes, satellite radar interferometry, Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and machine learning algorithms were utilized. Based on optical, radar, geological, hydrological and meteorological data, a spatial model was developed to determine the statistical significance of the selected factors’ individual impact on the occurrence of wetlands. Obtained results show that Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) change, terrain height, groundwater level and terrain displacement had a considerable influence on the occurrence of wetlands in the research area. Moreover, the machine learning model developed using the Random Forest algorithm allowed for an efficient determination of potential flooding zones based on a set of spatial variables, correctly detecting 76% area of wetlands. Finally, the GWR (Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) modelling enabled identification of local anomalies of selected factors’ influence on the occurrence of wetlands, which in turn helped to understand the causes of wetland formation.
In this article, we present a possible approach to use satellite radar data for a complete description of the formation process of a subsidence trough resulting from an induced seismic event—a mining tremor. Our main goal was to verify whether SAR data allow for the calculation of the basic indicators for the trough (w—subsidence, T—trough slope, K—curvature, u—horizontal displacements, ε—horizontal deformations). We verified the extent to which the Mogi and Yang models can be fitted to match the actual displacements recorded after an induced seismic tremor. The calculations were performed for the Legnica-Glogow Copper Belt (LGCB) area in southwest Poland. Due to intensive mining operations and specific geological and tectonic conditions, the area shows a high level of induced seismic activity. Our detailed analysis focused on four powerful mining tremors: the first tremor occurred on 29 November 2016 (MW3.4), the second on 7 December 2017 (MW3.3), the next on 26 December 2017 (MW3.6) and the last tremor on 29 January 2019 (MW3.7). For each analyzed event, we determined the displacements based on the Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) method and Sentinel 1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from two paths (22 and 73). Additionally, for the period from November 2014 to October 2020, we calculated the displacements using the Small Baseline Subset method (SBAS) time series method. In all cases, the tremor was followed by the development of long-lasting surface deformations. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that it is possible to calculate indicators that result from a specific induced mining event. Considering the full moment tensor and nature of the tremor source, we demonstrated that the Mogi and Yang models can be employed to describe the influence of an induced tremor on the surface in an area of mining activity. We also confirmed the global character of the influence of the reduced troposphere on SAR data calculations. Our conclusions indicate that accounting for the tropospheric correction does not distort horizontal and vertical displacement values in regions influenced by mining activity/tremors.
The vegetation of the post-mining areas is subject to constant and significant changes. Reclamation works, carried out after the cessation of mineral extraction, contribute to the intensive development of new plant species. However, secondary deformations, occurring even many years after the end of exploitation, may cause the degradation of the vegetation cover. It is, therefore, an important issue to identify changes in flora conditions and to determine whether and to what extent past mining has a negative impact on the plant cover state. The objectives of this research have been as follows: (1) analysis of the flora condition in the post-mining area in the 1989–2019 period, (2) identification of sites with significant changes in vegetation state, and (3) modeling of the relationship between the identified changes in vegetation and former mining activities. The research was carried out in the area of the former opencast and underground lignite mine “Friendship of Nations—Babina Shaft,” which is located in the present-day Geopark (Western Poland), using Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI derived vegetation indices (NDVI, NDII, MTVI2) and GIS-based spatial regression. The results indicate a general improvement in flora condition, especially in the vicinity of post-mining waste heaps and former opencast excavations, with the exception of the northwestern part of the former mining field where the values of all of the analyzed vegetation indices have decreased. Also, four zones of statistically significant changes in the flora condition were identified. Finally, the developed GWR models demonstrate that former mining activities had a significant influence on changes in the plant cover state of the analyzed region.
<p>The area of the present day Muzalkow Arch Geopark located on the border of Poland and Germany was subjected to a long term mining of lignite and other rock raw materials that ceased in the 70&#8217;ties of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century. The present-day geomorphological landscape of the research area is characterised by numerous and differentiated forms of anthropogenic origin (e.g. artificial lakes, subsidence troughs, sink holes, waste heaps) associated with underground and subsequently opencast mining of lignite in complex geological and tectonic conditions that result from glaciotectonic processes of subsequent stages of accumulation and weathering. It is thought that the area is presently subjected to geodynamic processes associated with weathering of exposed areas (lignite outcrops and waste heaps), destruction of shallow underground workings (subsidence troughs, sink holes) and changing hydrogeological conditions of the rock mass. The scale of these secondary deformations is presently unknown and these processes pose a threat the present day tourist development of the area, such as: sudden development of discontinuous terrain deformations, slope instability, flooding and subsequent dying of vegetation, etc.<br>Geodetic surveying and remote sensing (terrestrial, aerial and satellite) observations have been employed, apart from other in-situ investigations (geophysical and geological prospecting), to study the processes in one of the former coal mining fields in the geopark.<br>In this study preliminary results of selected geodetic field investigations, i.e. terrestrial laser scanning of a sink hole that showed on the surface in Autumn 2019 and UAV photogrammetric monitoring of an artificial waste rock tips have been reported. It has been found, based on mapping of old mining maps in GIS, that the sink hole is directly related to old shallow underground workings. Maximum depth of the analysed sink hole below ground level is &#160;5.5 m and volume of subsidence is 35 m<sup>3</sup>. The location is being monitored to check if the geometry changes in time.<br>Whereas, comparison of digital elevation models of the investigated waste heap (one of three measured so far) showed development of gully erosion and downward movement of the weathered material. The deposition of material at the bottom of the heap averaged over a dozen cm and maximum of over 50 cm for a half year Summer period (from 15.05.2020 to 07.11.2020).<br>The presented results constitute a first approximation of 3D mapping and modelling the post-mining deformations in glaciotectonic landscape and constitute part of an ongoing research project financed from the Polish National Science Centre OPUS funds (no 2019/33/B/ST10/02975).</p>
<p>Human activity, in particular mining operations are the cause of terrain changes, manifesting on the terrain surface in form of subsidence troughs. Presence of subsidence troughs in inhabited areas may be the cause of significant damage to the structure of buildings, roads and other man-made objects. Both vertical and horizontal terrain displacements occuring inside the trough could be the reason for deterioration of mentioned objects. Hence the need to measure the impact of mining activity on the terrain surface. Current measurement techniques used to determine terrain displacements include GNSS, leveling and SAR interferometry. One of the limitations of interferometric measurements is that displacement values are in the satellites Line-of-Sight (LOS). The fact that the values are only quasi-vertical causes an ambiguity when it comes to determining whether the dominating component of displacement is vertical or horizontal. Projecting the one-dimentional LOS motion to the vertical direction using only the incidence angle can cause significant errors if the magnitude of horizontal motion is considerable. However, the specific 3-dimentional diplacement components can be derived using different acquisition geometries. In order to determine all 3 components (horizontal North-South, East-West and vertical Up-Down), 3&#160;different viewing geometries have to be used so that the equation can be solved. However, the North-South component can be neglected due to low sensitivity of Sentinel-1 SAR instrument to displacement in that direction. Following that, 2 different viewing geometries can be sufficient to derive the East-West and vertical components.</p><p>The aim of the study is to determine how mining activity affects the surface in terms of both horizontal and vertical displacements. Radar pairs from Sentinel-1 ascending and descending orbit were used to create interferograms, based on which LOS displacement fields were calculated. The North-South and East-West components of displacement were solved through the inversion of the linear equation system based on incidence angles, headings and LOS displacements of ascending and descending radar pairs.</p><p>The horizontal and vertical components were determined for differential interferograms obtained with the DInSAR method using Sentinel-1 imagery, as well as for time series displacement fields derived from the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) approach over selected mining areas in Poland. The results have shown that data from ascending and descending orbits can be successfully merged in order to obtain both the horizontal (East-West) and vertical components of displacement over mining areas. Obtained values of displacements from both DInSAR and SBAS have confirmed that areas affected by mining activity are under the influence of changes in height, as well as shifts in horizontal direction. Thus it is important to take into consideration multiple acquisition geometries when it comes to studying deformations over mining areas.</p>
Land subsidence is strongly associated with the activities of underground mines. Direct influence of exploitation lead to the formation of subsidence troughs, which are a common phenomenon in the Legnica-Glogow Copper Belt, in southwest Poland, where copper ore is currently intensively mined. As a result, the process of creating troughs may cause significant deformations in the surrounding urban infrastructure, including highways, bridges and railways. Satellite radar interferometry (InSAR), as a remote sensing method, appears to be a useful tool for detecting this type of extensive terrain surface change. Aim of this research was to detect the occurrence of displacements of the S3 Express Road section between the Glogow West Node and the Glogow South Node. For this purpose 29 images provided by European Space Agency (ESA) over descending orbit 22 was obtained from the Sentinel-1A satellite for the period from May 14, 2019 to April 26, 2020. Open source softwares has been used – GMTSAR to generate differential interferograms using the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) method and Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers (StaMPS) to process Persistent Scatterers (PS). The express road, as an anthropogenic object, is characterized by relatively high radar backscatter, thanks to which subsidence of the area are clearly noticeable and indicate the trend of long-term deformations.
<p>Satellite radar interferometry, in particular time series techniques, allow to monitor the activity of the surface of vast areas, making them a complement and alternative to traditional geodetic methods, the use of which in such areas is often associated with significant restrictions. The above-mentioned areas definitely include open-cast mines, among others the analyzed Be&#322;chat&#243;w Brown Coal Mine (Poland).<br />During the studies, 216 satellite images acquired from the Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B satellites (path 175) for the period from October 17, 2014 to June 11, 2019 were used. Due to the fact that the research area was on two adjacent stages, it was necessary to combine data for the correct performance of the calculation process. The use of the SBInSAR imaging processing algorithm allowed to generate 839 interferograms carrying information about the difference in interferometric phases between pairs of images which satisfy the condition of the boundary size of the spatial and temporal base. As a consequence, it allowed to determine the displacements in the direction of the electromagnetic beam LOS (Line of Sight) that occurred in the mining area during this period.<br />Based on the carried out calculations, significant activity of the area around the open-pit mine was perceived. Dumping ground were analyzed - external Szczerc&#243;w Fields and internal Be&#322;chat&#243;w Fields, as well as excavations where mineral extraction is currently taking place. Continuous deformations (depressions and uplifts) associated with intensively conducted mining exploitation and complicated geological and mining conditions occurring in this area were observed (arrangement of rock layers, faults, the D&#281;bina salt debris separating the Be&#322;chat&#243;w Field from the Szczerc&#243;w Field).</p>
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