The 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse: Possible cause and impacts of the worst human and environmental disaster in Brazil

Rotta, Luiz; Alcântara, Enner; Park, Edward; Negri, Rogério Galante; Lin, Yunung Nina; Bernardo, Nariane; Mendes, Tatiana Sussel Gonçalves; Filho, Carlos Roberto de Souza

doi:10.1016/j.jag.2020.102119

Cited by 188 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…A-DInSAR analysis, using satellite SAR coverage with short revision times, can be used to check for possible signs of stability in an area impacted by a major dam rupture, aiming at risk mitigation strategies (Gama et al, 2019). Rotta et al (2020) used satellite-driven soil moisture index, high spatial resolution multispectral images and InSAR products to assess pre-disaster scenarios and the direct causes of the tailings dam collapse in Brumadinho / MG / Brazil. The rapid rate of subsidence measured by the InSAR analysis (even after the lagoon drought) and the large-scale fall of the rupture collectively indicated that there was a liquid action process underway internally (Rotta et al, 2020).…”

Section: Geodetic Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rotta et al (2020) used satellite-driven soil moisture index, high spatial resolution multispectral images and InSAR products to assess pre-disaster scenarios and the direct causes of the tailings dam collapse in Brumadinho / MG / Brazil. The rapid rate of subsidence measured by the InSAR analysis (even after the lagoon drought) and the large-scale fall of the rupture collectively indicated that there was a liquid action process underway internally (Rotta et al, 2020). Reyes-Carmona et al (2020) used the DInSAR technique to recognize and monitor landslides in the Rules Reservoir (Spain).…”

Section: Geodetic Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil: a theoretical approach

Pacheco¹,

Henriques²,

Ribeiro³

2020

Rev. ambiente água

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The safety of a dam is the result of a series of factors, including structural, geotechnical, hydraulic, operational and environmental aspects. In Brazil, Law No. 12.334 of September 2010 establishes the National Dam Safety Policy, which requires safety reports and monitoring inspections for existing dams. The inspection comprises a set of devices installed on the dam, which are used to assess the structural behavior based on performance parameters of the structure, such as displacements, flows, stresses, slopes and others. Dam auscultation procedures, historically, have been performed since the 1950s. Since then, there have been significant advances in instrumentation and dam auscultation methods. This work presents a theoretical approach on technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil, based on a state-of-the-art literature review, involving auscultation of dams in the context of design codes, concepts, instrumentation, safety, procedures and monitoring methods.

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Section: Geodetic Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geodetic Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil: a theoretical approach

Pacheco¹,

Henriques²,

Ribeiro³

2020

Rev. ambiente água

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“…The unleash of a large volume of tailings after the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in Brazil in 2015 caused irreversible environmental damage to water courses of the Doce River and associated ecosystems [6,7]. After three years, the catastrophic failure of the tailings dam of the Brumadinho iron mine led to the deaths of more than 200 people, devastated huge forest and agricultures, and increased the toxic chemical elements in the Paraopeba River [8]. Mine tailings, which may cause radioactive pollution, pose a threat to local communities as well [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Tailings Dams Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and a Single Shot Multibox Detector in the Jing–Jin–Ji Region, China

Chen

Zhang

et al. 2020

Remote Sensing

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The timely and accurate mapping and monitoring of mine tailings dams is crucial to the improvement of management practices by decision makers and to the prevention of disasters caused by failures of these dams. Due to the complex topography, varying geomorphological characteristics, and the diversity of ore types and mining activities, as well as the range of scales and production processes involved, as they appear in remote sensing imagery, tailings dams vary in terms of their scale, color, shape, and surrounding background. The application of high-resolution satellite imagery for automatic detection of tailings dams at large spatial scales has been barely reported. In this study, a target detection method based on deep learning was developed for identifying the locations of tailings ponds and obtaining their geographical distribution from high-resolution satellite imagery automatically. Training samples were produced based on the characteristics of tailings ponds in satellite images. According to the sample characteristics, the Single Shot Multibox Detector (SSD) model was fine-tuned during model training. The results showed that a detection accuracy of 90.2% and a recall rate of 88.7% could be obtained. Based on the optimized SSD model, 2221 tailing ponds were extracted from Gaofen-1 high resolution imagery in the Jing–Jin–Ji region in northern China. In this region, the majority of tailings ponds are located at high altitudes in remote mountainous areas. At the city level, the tailings ponds were found to be located mainly in Chengde, Tangshan, and Zhangjiakou. The results prove that the deep learning method is very effective at detecting complex land-cover features from remote sensing images.

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“…A tailings dam failure causes serious damage to the surrounding environment and ecosystem, and severe loss of lives and property of downstream residents [3][4][5][6]. For example, the Feijão tailings dam in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, collapsed on 25 January 2019, causing 259 deaths and 11 missing person cases [7]. Furthermore, approximately 10 million cubic meters of tailings-water mixtures flowed into the surrounding streams and rivers, causing serious ecological and environmental damage [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study of Mesostructure Deformation Characteristics of Unsaturated Tailings with Different Moisture Content

Geng

Wang

Wei

et al. 2020

Water

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A portion of the accumulated tailings in a tailings pond exhibits an unsaturated state. The mechanical properties of unsaturated tailings affect the safety and stability of tailings dams. To investigate the effect of moisture content on the deformation characteristics of unsaturated tailings in the mesoscale, a special testing apparatus is applied to experimentally study the settlement deformation and mesostructure evolution of unsaturated tailings under continuous load. The results show that the mesostructure deformation of unsaturated tailings with different moisture contents under load is the same and can be divided into four stages: pore compression, elastic deformation, structure change, and further compaction. However, the critical pressures of the four stages are significantly different; there is an optimal moisture content corresponding to the maximum deformation resistance. Moreover, the influence of the liquid bridge regime on the mesostructure deformation of unsaturated tailings is discussed in this paper.

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The 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse: Possible cause and impacts of the worst human and environmental disaster in Brazil

Cited by 188 publications

References 27 publications

Technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil: a theoretical approach

Technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil: a theoretical approach

Detection of Tailings Dams Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and a Single Shot Multibox Detector in the Jing–Jin–Ji Region, China

Experimental Study of Mesostructure Deformation Characteristics of Unsaturated Tailings with Different Moisture Content

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