English

Abstract

Detailed topography is important, if not vital, to not only characterize abandoned mined land (AML) problems (landslips, subsidences, refuse piles, highwalls, etc.) but also to verify active mining and reclamation (monitoring backfilling and grading, stream reconstruction, Prime Farmland stockpiling and replacement, confirming as-built designs, etc.) Traditional and newer methods for acquiring detailed topography have been limited to: (1) aerial photogrammetry and on-site surveys; and (2) high-precision Geographic Positioning System (GPS) surveys and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Unfortunately, all four of these methods have the same expensive downsides: If an organization does the work in-house, resources must be diverted from other tasks. If contracted, the organization may have to pay a premium for timely work. In addition, there are always scheduling issues and, for in-house work, may mean special training and expensive equipment. Close range photogrammetry (CRP) has much potential to supplement and for some applications, even replace traditional methods like surveying, precision GPS, LiDAR, and aerial photogrammetry. However until last year, CRP was not practical and often as costly as the other methods. In mid- 2008, new software became available that could turn a $200 digital camera into a precision mapping tool. The Technical Innovations and Professional Services (TIPS) Remote Sensing Team is evaluating the software and techniques under a variety of field conditions; comparisons, examples, and problems found during the research are presented as are suggestions for future work.