InSAR is widely used in the mining sector, both in open‑pit and underground operations, to monitor ground and asset deformation throughout mining activities.
In this context, Atlas InSAR is a powerful remote monitoring service providing continuous control over entire mining sites. As a result, safety is enhanced and operational continuity is supported through risk mitigation strategies.
• Early detection of ground and slope instability: Identifies millimetre-scale ground movements weeks or months before visible failure. As a result, operators can implement proactive risk management measures.
• Support for mine planning and design: Helps optimise slope angles, dumping strategies, and haul road locations based on observed ground behaviour.
• Improved worker safety: Monitors hazardous or inaccessible areas remotely and non-invasively.
• Wide‑area coverage: Monitors entire pits, waste dumps, and surrounding infrastructure simultaneously, not just discrete points.
• Data integration & decision support: Combines InSAR data with other monitoring systems, such as prisms, radar and LiDAR. This improves geotechnical models and strengthens decision-making processes.
• Environmental & regulatory compliance: Provides consistent and auditable records of ground movement. Consequently, reporting requirements and environmental monitoring activities are easier to support.
For mining, time-series deformation, slope stability indicators, and TSF monitoring products are the most valuable InSAR deliverables. The strongest value comes not from single maps, but from continuous monitoring combined with thresholds, alerts, and integration into geotechnical workflows. Core deliverables include:
• Displacement maps (LOS, vertical, horizontal): Spatial maps of cumulative ground movement (mm–m scale) to identify subsidence bowls, uplift, instability zones.
• Time-series displacement graphs: Deformation evolution at selected points (infrastructure, shafts, pit walls).
• Acceleration and trend analysis: Early-warning indicators for critical deformation.
• Hotspot detection layers: Automatically highlight areas exceeding movement thresholds.