Mine tailings water mapping using CHRIS Proba imagery

Monitoring for water within and around mining operations is a regular practice across the sector; however, the routine protocol is based on the point sampling system to assess the impact. Remote sensing based mapping could significantly improve the assessment results. This study focuses on the application of CHRIS Proba hyperspectral image in monitoring tailings water at the Dexing Copper Mine (DCM), China. This study critiques the use of advanced satellite based hyperspectral techniques in qualitatively mapping the water bodies at mine sites. However, use of such techniques could be limited to provide critical feedback for ground based sampling rather than its operational replacement.