Spaceborne radar interferometry for mine subsidence monitoring in Australia

Land surface deformation can be caused by underground mining activities. The maximum subsidence normally occurs directly above the location of the excavation of the coal seam. In the case where the longwall mining technique is applied, fire magnitude and shape of the subsidence howl are constrained by the longwall structure (pillar). This paper describes the use of satellite radar interferometry for monitoring surface subsidence due to underground mining, as a cost-effective geodetic technique and complementary to conventional ground surveying techniques. This paper uses data required by the current generation of SAR satellites - tire European ENVISAT and the Japanese ALOS - to monitor ground subsidence in the southern highland coalfield in New South Wales, Australia. An accumulated DlnSAR subsidence mine map is produced using six successive ALOS acquisitions. The results are post-analysed with the aid of geographic information systems (GIS) and validated using ground survey data.