Tracking Changes in Mining Object Topology on Rectangular and Hexagonal Grids

Abstract

The Earth remote sensing technologies (ERS) in exploration largely determine their effectiveness. Therefore, development of a new methodological support for the use of remote sensing data in predicting mining and geological conditions is a key priority area. The studies are based on the analysis of the assessment of information, social, and economic efficiency of remote sensing data application at mineral deposits. The role of application of new technologies (including remote ones) in the process of optimizing initial exploration stages is noted. The possibilities of using remote sensing data to assess general nature, direction, and extent of environmental changes due to mining activities are shown. A technique is proposed that can be used in the process of tracking changes in the topology of objects in the course of mining. The differences in the results obtained using the proposed technique for processing satellite images on rectangular and hexagonal grids (rasters) are considered. The advantages of using the hexagonal grid for tracking the boundaries of objects and formation of signs are shown. Practical examples - a number of open source satellite images processed using the proposed method - are presented. The study findings allow applying intelligent analysis of satellite imagery data with the subsequent identification of the earth's surface objects of interest. An example of using the obtained results together with specialized software tools (such as GIS INTEGRO geographic information system capable of solving geological problems, or the foreign ArcGIS system) for constructing contour maps of the territory and obtaining its description based on topological relations and metric information is shown.