Remote sensing techniques of geospatial geotechnical site characterization applied to competence studies of mine tailings impoundments and slope stability investigations.

摘要

The research presented in this dissertation suggests methods of deriving critical engineering properties of soils from appropriate high altitude spectral data, or imagery. Soil interaction with ambient or applied electromagnetic radiation results in spatially varying degrees of reflection and absorption of electromagnetic radiation. Soil properties govern the band-specific interaction of the soil with the applied electromagnetic radiation, visually resulting in a soil's colour and brightness. The visual appearance, or cumulative interaction of the soil with each applied band of electromagnetic radiation, is recorded by cameras mounted on a remote sensing platform. From the resulting imagery, representing the soil's reflection/absorption intensity, key dielectric soil properties are calculated.; Dielectric properties govern the soil's reflection and absorption intensities. In turn, dielectric properties are governed by the soil's structure and composition and are indicative of the soil's principal geotechnical properties. Dielectric properties of soil are the tie connection between the engineering properties of soil and geospatial data provided as imagery. This provides a fast, simple, inexpensive, and comprehensive geotechnical site assessment, performed by a single user in a GIS system, with soil spectral data as the principal input.; Included with the image-extracted soil properties are principal slope engineering parameters. Using GIS and the prescribed series of computations, image-extracted geospatial data sets representing these key properties are applied to an area-wide modification of a common slope stability analysis method, resulting in a map illustrating the risk of slope failures throughout the area encompassed by imagery. This method is the skeleton of a possible automated satellite-based forecasting and warning system against landslides. In addition to the presented slope stability investigation, ground moisture surveys are also applied to competence investigations involving ground bearing capacity and fugitive dust emissions.