Study site location: Sudbury, Ontario; casi image cube of 1996; and reclamation maps showing the rehabilatation progress between 1996 and 1998. The maps were derived with spectral unmixing. Levels of abundance range from 0 in blue to 1 in red. larger image (250Kb)

One of the environmental monitoring activities of the hyperspectral program at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing is the evaluation of the use of imaging spectrometer data for characterising mine tailing sites and monitoring the restoration of such sites. In this work, hyperspectral imagery from a casi (Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager) in the visible and near infrared was used to characterise sulphide mine tailings at the Copper Cliff tailing impoundment area in Sudbury. This site was chosen primarily to monitor the results of the re-vegetation program initiated by INCO at this site. Image data sets of the study site acquired on two dates, August 24, 1996 and August 19, 1998, were processed and analyzed using the CCRS ISDAS (Imaging Spectrometer Data Analysis System). Results displayed here indicate that these techniques can be employed successfully to map such sites and to monitor the results of rehabilitation efforts.

To learn more about the use of hyperspectral remote sensing for environmental monitoring purposes, please consult the following articles and papers:

Neville R. A., K. Staenz, J. Lévesque, C. Nadeau, Q. Truong, G. Borstad. Uranium Mine Detection Using an Airborne Imaging Spectrometer; Fifth International Airborne Remote Sensing Conference, San Francisco, California, 17-20 September, 2001.

Lévesque J., R. Neville, K. Staenz, Q. Truong. Preliminary Results on the Investigation of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for the Identification of Uranium Mine Tailings; Proceedings of ISSSR'01, Québec City, Canada, 10-15 June, 2001 Abstract

Lévesque J., K. Staenz, and Szeredi T. The Impact of Spectral Band Characteristics on Unmixing of casi Data for Monitoring Mine Tailings Site Rehabilitation; Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 26, No 3, 2000, pp. 231-240 Abstract

Shang, J., J. Lévesque, K. Staenz, P. Howarth, B. Morris, L. Lanteigne. Investigating casi Responses to Different Levels of Tailing Oxidation: Inco Copper Cliff Tailings Area, Northern Ontario, Canada; Proceedings of the 22th Canadian Symposium on remote sensing, Victoria, BC, August 21-25, 2000, pp. 565-573 Abstract

Lévesque J., K. Staenz, J. Shang, R. Neville, P. Yearwood, V. Singhroy. Temporal Monitoring of Mine Tailings Revegetation Using Hyperspectral Data, Sudbury, Ontario; Thirteenth International Conference on Applied Geologic Remote Sensing, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1-3 March, 1999, pp. 21-28 Abstract

Shang J., J. Lévesque, P. Howarth, B. Morris, K. Staenz, P. Yearwood. Preliminary Investigation of Acid Mine Drainage Detection Using casi Data, Copper Cliff, Ontario, Canada; Fourth International Airborne Remote Sensing Conference and Exhibition / 21st Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 21-24 June, 1999, pp. 771-778 Abstract

Staenz K., R.A. Neville, J. Lévesque, T. Szeredi, V. Singhroy, G.A. Borstad, P. Hauff. Evaluation of casi and SFSI Hyperspectral Data for Environmental and Geological Applications - Two Case Studies; Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 25, No 3, 1999, pp. 311-322 Abstract

Lévesque J., T. Szeredi, K. Staenz, V. Singhroy. Spectral Band Selection from casi Data for Monitoring Mine Tailings Site Rehabilitation; 20th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing, Calgary, May 10-13, 1998, pp. 161-164 Abstract

Lévesque J., T. Szeredi, K. Staenz, V. Singhroy, D. Bolton. Spectral Unmixing for Monitoring Mine Tailings Site Rehabilitation, Copper Cliff Mine, Sudbury, Ontario; Twelfth International Conference and Workshops on Applied Geologic Remote Sensing, Denver, Colorado, 17-19 November, 1997, pp. 340-347 Abstract

Lévesque J., V. Singhroy, K. Staenz, D. Bolton. Site Characterization of Mine Tailings at the INCO Copper Cliff Tailings Impoundment Area Using casi Imagery; International Symposium, Geomatics in the Era of RADARSAT (GER'97), Ottawa, Canada, May 25-30, 1997 Abstract