Integrated use of DInSAR and GIS for detection of abandoned-mining-induced surface movements

Abstract

Mining activities are very often influencing the surface. Ongoing hard coal mining in Germany results in high subsidence rates within an area of relatively vast extent. Beside these well understood and predicted consequences, relicts of former mining are in Germany present, too. These relicts are causing risk for people and infrastructure. The main risk is induced by sudden falls of the surface due to the collapse of still existing cavities in the ground, justifying the development of a monitoring concept for historical mining areas. This contribution shows a general approach to realize a monitoring system by the integrated use of Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) and additional abandoned mining related data using a Geographic Information System (GIS). First, qualitative DInSAR results showing surface deformations in a specific area of investigation are presented. Second, these results are classified into potentially abandoned mining induced surface deformations and others. This classification is done by using mining related background information and standard GIS functionality.