| Title | Satellite observations for detection of dust from mining activities in a caribou habitat, Northwest Territories and Nunavut |
| Download | Downloads |
| |
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | White, H P ; Chen,
W; Leblanc, S G |
| Source | Geomatics Canada, Open File 71, 2022, 1 sheet, https://doi.org/10.4095/330548  Open Access |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2022 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Meeting | 17th North American Caribou Workshop; Ottawa; CA; October 29 - November 2, 2018 |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | digital; on-line |
| Related | NRCan photo(s) in this
publication |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Northwest Territories; Nunavut |
| NTS | 75G; 75H; 75I; 75J; 75K; 75L; 75M; 75N; 75O; 75P; 85I; 85J; 85M; 85N; 85O; 85P; 86A; 86B; 86C; 86D; 86G; 86H; 76A; 76B; 76C; 76D; 76E; 76F; 76G; 76H; 76J; 76K; 76L |
| Area | Tlicho |
| Lat/Long WENS | -120.0000 -104.0000 67.0000 60.0000 |
| Subjects | Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; surficial geology/geomorphology; open pit mining; satellite imagery; soil properties; mine waste products; spectral analyses; Ekati Diamond Mine; Animal
populations |
| Illustrations | satellite imagery; satellite images; photographs; spectra; diagrams |
| Program | Canada Centre for Remote Sensing Remote Sensing Science Program - Optical methods and applications |
| Released | 2022 08 26 |
| Abstract | (unpublished)
Diamond mining via open pit mining has been ongoing within the Tlicho region of the Northwest Territories for several decades, which includes the habitat range of the Bathurst
Caribou Herd. This has led to the importance of quantitative characterization of the Zone Of Influence (ZOI), where resource development activities may be influencing the natural behaviour of the caribou herd in the tundra environment. As part of
better defining and understanding the ZOI in this region, an initiative to evaluate the potential of detecting and mapping mine waste rock dust in the surrounding environment is explored. This dust has been shown to coat foliage near roads,
influencing the acidity levels of the surficial soil layer and impacting the foliage distribution. To this end, field spectrometry was acquired at various distances from road ways. Satellite imagery from the Proba-1 CHRIS hyperspectral sensor and the
multi-spectral Sentinel-2a system were also acquired of the region. This presentation presents the initial spectral analysis pursued to evaluate the potential to remotely spectrally detect waste rock dust material used in road construction in the
surrounding tundra vegetation. Initial analysis of the Proba-1 CHRIS hyperspectral imagery shows spectral indicators of fugitive dust and waste rock easily detects the road and suggests detectable dust concentration above ambient up to a distance of
under 1km from the road. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Diamond mining via open pit mining has been ongoing within the Tlicho region of the Northwest Territories for several decades, which includes the habitat
range of the Bathurst Caribou Herd. This has led to the importance of quantitative characterization of the Zone Of Influence (ZOI), where resource development activities such as mining may be influencing the tundra environment. This initiative
evaluates the potential of detecting and mapping mine waste rock dust in the surrounding environment using optical (spectral) satellite imagery from the Proba-1 CHRIS hyperspectral sensor and the multi-spectral Sentinel-2a system. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 330548 |
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