InSAR Monitoring for Tailings Storage Facilities
Preventing Disasters Like Jagersfontein
Highlights
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Proactive Risk Management: InSAR risk assessment allows asset owners to identify potential issues before they escalate and make informed decisions.
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Cost-Effective Monitoring: Unlike in-situ monitoring, InSAR is less resource-intensive and covers vast areas from space.
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Improved Prediction Accuracy: InSAR-based estimations of failure timelines help asset management act within critical periods.
Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) are engineered structures that store large volumes of potentially hazardous materials, often including toxic substances. When a TSF fails, the environmental and financial consequences can be catastrophic.
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A major event happened at the Jagersfontein TSF in South Africa in September 2022. This incident showed how important it is to have strong monitoring methods to avoid similar disasters.
The Challenge of TSF Stability
The Jagersfontein incident highlights the transformative potential of InSAR monitoring for TSF management. By using satellite remote sensing techniques, TSF owners can protect their assets. This helps lower the risk of environmental and financial problems.
The Role of InSAR Monitoring
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) monitoring techniques offer an innovative, remote solution for detecting ground movement and potential structural risks in TSFs. This monitoring system derives high resolution data collection in a time series to assess changes over time. Other monitoring solutions for dam safety such as in-situ techniques may be reactive, and detect issues too late for corrective actions.
At Geofem, our analysts utilised InSAR analysis to retrospectively monitor the Jagersfontein TSF, identifying subtle but critical changes in the structure's stability over time. InSAR processing allowed for the detection of specific areas with increased subsidence and uplift – indicators that preceded the collapse.
Key Findings
Using InSAR, Geofem’s analysts also applied the Inverse Velocity approach, which provided time-to-failure estimations. Geofem calculated a failure window using short-term and long-term moving averages. This gave us an accuracy rate of two weeks, allowing for better predictions.
Conclusion
The Benefits of InSAR for Tunnelling Projects
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The Jagersfontein incident highlights the transformative potential of InSAR monitoring for TSF management. By adopting satellite remote sensing techniques, TSF owners can better safeguard their assets and reduce the risk of environmental and financial consequences.
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Interested in learning more about InSAR monitoring? Contact Geofem to explore how our InSAR data solutions can enhance the stability of your critical infrastructure assets.
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Want to learn more? Contact Geofem today to discover how InSAR can support your geotechnical needs.
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