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.