ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF SATELLITE INTERFEROMETRY TECHNIQUE (INSAR) IN TERMS OF MINING-INDUCED CHANGES IN LAND SURFACE

• Published in: International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM Vol. 2; pp. 815 - 822
• Main Author: Kura, Karol
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Sofia Surveying Geology & Mining Ecology Management (SGEM) 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Amplitude; Area; Coal; Deformation; Deformation mechanisms; Earth; Earth surface; Electromagnetic radiation; Exploitation; Geologic depressions; Geological structures; Geology; Hydrogeology; Interferometric synthetic aperture radar; Interferometry; Launching; Measurement techniques; Methods; Miniaturization; Mining; Monitoring; Radar; Radar imaging; Radiation; Recording equipment; Registration; Remote sensing; SAR (radar); Satellite imagery; Satellites; Security; Seismicity; Sensors; Subsidence; Synthetic aperture radar; Synthetic aperture radar interferometry; Underground mining; Voids
• ISSN: 1314-2704

The area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, which is Europe's largest hard coal basin, is subjected to continuous impacts and risks associated with underground exploitation, visible mainly in the form of depressions or induced seismicity. The complicated geological structure, hydrogeological conditions, and the impacts mining exploitation conducted for more than 200 years (including the exploitation system, its depth, range as well as methods of liquidation of post-exploitation voids) in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, give rise to different types of processes on the surface of the ground. These processes may take the character of rapid movements of a large amplitude - this may be due to the subsidence of the land surface as a result of voids migrating to the surface and loosened zones, but the displacement may take the character of a small amplitude as long-term subsidence occurring many years after the exploitation. As the area of Upper Silesian Coal Basin is highly urbanized, it is necessary to ensure security in these areas by means of a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of deformation occurring there, and their constant monitoring. In recent years, satellite registration of the surface of the Earth is becoming more attractive due to the increasing precision of the recording equipment registering electromagnetic radiation (sensors) and possibilities of its use. Additional factors increasing the attractiveness of satellite images is placing new satellite systems on the orbit, which have increasingly better spatial, spectral and time resolution together with miniaturization of these devices, which is reflected in a cost of launching such a system into the orbit. A noticeable factor is the trend of lowering the purchase prices of these images, compared with the purchase prices of a few years ago, which is also the result of this technology dissemination and getting cheaper. One of the most promising and rapidly developing measurement techniques is satellite interferometry InSAR - Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. This technique is based on a mutual phase shift of radar signals between the two radar satellite images, as a result of which an interferometric image is obtained. Interferogram is used for observation of changes in the land surface elevation. This paper attempts to analyse satellite interferometry technique to be used for mining areas and its practical application in the area of monitoring and protection of areas subject to the impact of underground mining activities.