Areal Change Detection and 3D Modeling of Mine Lakes Using High-Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Images

Abstract

This study focuses on the Etili and Comakli openpit coal mines, where mine lakes are most densely located within the Can Coal Basin (northwestern Turkey). The aim of our study was to create 3D terrain models of these mine lakes using high-resolution images from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and to quantify areal changes linked to anthropogenic and meteorological effects over the study period. In November 2014 and October 2015, a DJI F550 hexacopter was flown at elevations of 30-100 m, and images were acquired using a 12-megapixel camera. Nineteen flights were completed, with each flight acquiring between 109 and 554 images. 3D modeling of UAV images was carried out with Agisoft software, using the most common structure from motion algorithm. Its workflow, involving image matching, georeferencing, digital elevation modeling, orthomosaics, 3D point cloud, and 3D textured model creation, was used to generate our 3D terrain model for the mine lakes. Orthomosaics with 1-6 cm/pixel resolution were used to assess areal change in the mine lakes. Area was calculated using two different methods (digitization and classification) within the ArcGIS package; results of these two methods were compared. Our UAV study of open-pit mines rapidly and precisely determined changes in topography linked to anthropogenic and meteorological effects. It also proved to be an effective method of visualizing such effects over the short term.

Application of Low-Cost Fixed-Wing UAV for Inland Lakes Shoreline Investigation

“…Application of Low-Cost Fixed-Wing UAV for Inland Lakes Shoreline Investigation Our study confirms the relevance of UAVs platform in water applications and is consistent with previous results (Č ermáková et al 2016;Venturi et al 2016;Yucel and Turan 2016). The solutions presented in those articles are based on off-the-shelf multi-rotor platforms.…”

“…UAVs have become significant tools to perform a photographic inventory of land and engineering structures. The most often used UAVs are low cost and not very sophisticated multicopters, which are becoming increasingly popular as a platform for photogrammetric cameras (Č ermáková et al 2016;Harvey et al 2016;Yucel and Turan 2016).…”

Prediction of acid mine drainage generation potential of various lithologies using static tests: Etili coal mine (NW Turkey) as a case study

“…2), which had a total area of 11.42 ha in November 2014, according to unmanned air vehicle data (Yucel and Turan 2016). One lake was emptied because of reopening mining activities and the remaining eight AMLs covered 9.82 ha in October 2015 (Yucel and Turan 2016).…”

Evaluation of Ultrasound-assisted Modified Fly Ash for Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage

“…When mining activities ceased without any accompanying remediation methods, these depressions filled with surface and ground waters. During the time, artificial lakes formed and showed typical characteristics of acid mine lakes (AML) with low pH (min: 2.59) and high electrical conductivity values (max: 6430 μS/cm), in addition to high SO 4 2− (max: 5370 mg/L) and metal (Al, Fe, Mn, etc.) concentrations [3].…”