| Ekati Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories |
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Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Priorities > Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Tour Canada from space Ekati Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories
 The Ekati Diamond Mine started operations in 1998 and as of 2001 is North America's only operating diamond mine, producing $1.7 million of diamonds every day. The name "Ekati" comes from the Dene language and means "fat lake", but actually refers to white granite rock outcrops, resembling caribou fat! The mine is located about 300km northeast of Yellowknife in the arctic Barrens. The isolated location makes it even more attractive to use remote sensing for monitoring and mapping purposes. Just how can remote sensing data and technology help a mining operation like this? See our sample images of the Ekati mine site, analyzed/interpreted to:
- map the surrounding natural environment (to help minimize environmental impact),
- monitor development (assess changes to the environment over time),
- overview the whole site (for administrative planning purposes),
- observe site features for mining & engineering purposes:
Question: The wider road to the east of the airstrip is Misery Road which leads to the Misery (kimberlite) pipe; it takes an apparently unnecessary "S"-shaped swing. Is it really unnecessary? Why doesn't the road go straight? [ Answer ]
About this Image
| Location: |
Between Exeter Lake and Lac de Gras, about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife, NWT. |
| NTS map(s): |
76 D |
 Location Map: |
See a detailed map (1:1M) of the region |
| Image Date: |
Landsat: July 26, 1989; August 2, 1994; August 22, 1999
IKONOS: August 25, 2000 |
| Satellites/Sensors: |
Landsat Thematic Mapper
IKONOS panchromatic and multispectral sensors |
| Resolution: |
Landsat TM: 30 m
IKONOS: panchromatic: 1 m, multispectral: 4 m pixels |
| Image Area: |
IKONOS multispectral'image segment: 1000 x 1300 pixels = 4.0 x 5.2 km |
| Image Features: |
Mine site, lakes, diversion channel, airstrip, mine pit, waste rock pile, processing plant. |
| Related Tour Images: |
Sheshatshiu - North West River, Labrador; Norman Wells, NWT |
| Related Glossary Terms: |
These terms from the CCRS Glossary may help you to understand this image and its interpretation:
additive colour, brightness, contrast, contrast enhancement, contrast stretch, false colour, colour composite, image resolution, image texture, multispectral scanner, plant reflectance, resolving power, tone, true colour |
| Related Tutorial Sections: |
These sections of the "Fundamentals of Remote Sensing" tutorial by CCRS will help you to better understand this image and its interpretation:
1.5 1.7 2.8 2.12 4.2 4.5 5.3 5.4 5.7
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| Image Credits: |
- Images provided courtesy of the Northwest Territories Remote Sensing Centre (NWTRSC) and BHP Diamonds Inc. (BHP)
- Image analysis by CCRS and NWTRSC.
- Ground photos by NWTRSC and BHP.
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Additional
Information: | The reason the mine excavation is circular, is because it represents the horizontal cross-section of a kimberlite "pipe", which is a cone-shaped, vertical feature. As the excavation continues deeper into the "cone", the circle gets smaller. Eventually underground mining will take over from the surface mining visible here. The Panda pit will eventually reach 330m depth. |
| Question: |
The wider road to the east of the airstrip is Misery Road which leads to the Misery (kimberlite) pipe; it takes an apparently unnecessary "S"-shaped swing. Is it really unnecessary? Why doesn't the road go straight? |
| Answer: |
Careful observation and interpretation of this multispectral IKONOS image shows that the "S"-shaped swing of the road avoids some wetlands. Thus, the road takes the path of least resistance, reducing development and future maintenance costs. |
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