Use of UAV Images in 3D Modelling of Waste Material Stock-Piles in an Abandoned Mixed Sulphide Mine in Mathiatis—Cyprus.

Autor: Saratsis, Georgios, Xiroudakis, George, Exadaktylos, George, Papaconstantinou, Alexandros, Lazos, Ilias
Předmět:
Zdroj: Mining; 2023, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p79-95, 17p
Abstrakt: The island of Cyprus is famous for its rich deposits of volcanic mineralisation that yielded large quantities of copper, gold, and silver. The abandonment of the waste material in several dump sites during exploitation severely impacted the environment. A significant environmental issue is the acid mine drainage from the hydration of large barren piles that cover these old open pit mines. However, abandoned piles are still enriched in precious metals and perhaps even rare earth metals. These dump sites may form a new possible "deposit", which may attract companies' economic interest. Removing the stockpiles can be cost-effective, since the secondary extraction process is profitable, in addition to the benefits from the restoration of the natural environment. The case study considered here pertains to the North Mine of Mathiatis, where unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images were used to create not only a 3D topographic map but also to locate these dump sites and finally to create a 3D model of one of these waste stockpiles. The methodology proposed here to locate dump sites by using point cloud data (x, y, z, RGB) and high-resolution images provided by UAVs will assist in the secondary mining of old open-pit mines by defining the bottom and top stockpile surfaces. The reconstructed 3D waste piles can also be used to calculate the volume they occupy and other parameters, such as the gradient of slopes, that are essential for estimating the cost of possible restoration. The proposed methodology was applied to the stockpile STK1 with the most available drillhole data, and its volume was estimated at 56,000 m3, approximately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index