Hyperspectral remote sensing assessment of mining-related environmental impacts: examples from the MINEO project S. Chevrel, V.Kuosmanen, K.Groesel, S.Marsh et al. Assessing and monitoring the environmental impact of mining environments in Europe using advanced EO techniques

MINEO objectives Use advanced (hyperspectral) Earth Observation (EO) to develop innovative tools and methods to update EU mining-related environmental databases Develop generic tools and methods to process and exploit these EO data in management information systems for monitoring environmental risk Guidelines and standards for data dissemination

Methodological developments Six test sites in various European environmental contexts:   hyperspectral airborne data, acquired in Summer 2000 Spectral identification of contaminated areas   reference spectral libraries, created throughout project Image processing to discriminate contaminated areas   procedures and algorithms, delivered by end of project GIS modelling: pollutant dissemination, impact assessments   examples of models produced at various stages Identification, characterisation and mapping of: – –Mine waste, acid producing and buffering minerals, residual chemicals – –Dust and oil contamination and water seepage with contaminants – –Mining induced subsidence and changes in groundwater level

MINEO Test sites Six current and former mining test sites across a wide range of European environments: ArcticGreenland BorealFinland AlpineAustria Central Germany MaritimeUnited Kingdom MediterraneanPortugal

Airborne hyperspectral and field spectroscopy surveys HyMap (HyVista Corp, Australia) – –126 bands, nm – –15-20 nm band width, S/N > 500 Dornier 228 (DLR, Germany) –2500 m agl, 270 Km/h –5 m pixels, 2500 m swath, 20% overlap Field measurements during flights –image calibration & reference targets Summer field campaigns –collected relevant environmental data –spectroradiometric measurements to populate reference spectral libraries

MSL: MINEO Spectral Library MSL tool for: – –management – –evaluation of – –spectra plus their metadata MSL fed with: – –lab spectra – –field spectra – –image spectra – –location details – –environmental information MSL links to ENVI

Mine details: –evidence of Bronze Age tin mining; massive expansion in 18th century, accompanied by development of copper –lead, silver, zinc, arsenic, tungsten, cobalt bismuth, uranium, antimony also produced at various times Problem: –drainage contaminated by abandoned mines upstream Objective: –mapping iron-rich material, main minerals responsible for contamination, including AMD-generating material Method: –Minimum Noise Fraction and Spectral Angle Mapper Western-European environment test site: Cornwall copper-tin mining district, UK

Cornwall copper-tin mining district, UK: drainage transported contamination