A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements

Ground surface displacements monitored by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques are a useful indicator for revealing precursors and assessing risks of tailings dam failures. However, the long-term and large-magnitude consolidation settlements, which impose low risks on dam coll...

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Main Authors: Zefa Yang, Xiangyu Huang, Jingze Li, Zhiwei Li, Qifeng He, Jun Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002493
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author Zefa Yang
Xiangyu Huang
Jingze Li
Zhiwei Li
Qifeng He
Jun Hu
author_facet Zefa Yang
Xiangyu Huang
Jingze Li
Zhiwei Li
Qifeng He
Jun Hu
author_sort Zefa Yang
collection DOAJ
description Ground surface displacements monitored by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques are a useful indicator for revealing precursors and assessing risks of tailings dam failures. However, the long-term and large-magnitude consolidation settlements, which impose low risks on dam collapses, usually dominate InSAR displacement observations. The phenomenon would cause misleading in failure precursors and false alarms in dam failure risks. To circumvent this, we proposed a new framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks from InSAR displacements. In which, a novel Weibull-based algorithm was firstly developed to statistically identify and robustly separate long-term consolidation settlement components from InSAR displacements. The dam failure risks were then statistically assessed based on the remaining InSAR observations after consolidation settlement separation using a comprehensive standardized deformation index (CSDI) model. Six tailings storage facilities (TSFs) worldwide were selected to be tested using the proposed model. The results suggest that the new framework can effectively reduce the false alarms of dam failure risks (about 48% in this study) due to consolidation settlements. In addition, the identified regions with high failure risks are more reliable than that by traditional algorithms without consolidation settlement separation. The new framework offers a robust tool to assess dam failure risks of large-scale (e.g., global) TSFs, thus scientifically guiding the control of catastrophic tailings dam failures.
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spelling doaj-art-3dca176b9aac47ea80aa84cb910f8a0b2025-08-20T03:07:24ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322025-06-0114010460210.1016/j.jag.2025.104602A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlementsZefa Yang0Xiangyu Huang1Jingze Li2Zhiwei Li3Qifeng He4Jun Hu5School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Corresponding authors at: No. 932, Lushan South Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, ChinaSchool of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Corresponding authors at: No. 932, Lushan South Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, ChinaSchool of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, ChinaSchool of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, ChinaGround surface displacements monitored by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques are a useful indicator for revealing precursors and assessing risks of tailings dam failures. However, the long-term and large-magnitude consolidation settlements, which impose low risks on dam collapses, usually dominate InSAR displacement observations. The phenomenon would cause misleading in failure precursors and false alarms in dam failure risks. To circumvent this, we proposed a new framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks from InSAR displacements. In which, a novel Weibull-based algorithm was firstly developed to statistically identify and robustly separate long-term consolidation settlement components from InSAR displacements. The dam failure risks were then statistically assessed based on the remaining InSAR observations after consolidation settlement separation using a comprehensive standardized deformation index (CSDI) model. Six tailings storage facilities (TSFs) worldwide were selected to be tested using the proposed model. The results suggest that the new framework can effectively reduce the false alarms of dam failure risks (about 48% in this study) due to consolidation settlements. In addition, the identified regions with high failure risks are more reliable than that by traditional algorithms without consolidation settlement separation. The new framework offers a robust tool to assess dam failure risks of large-scale (e.g., global) TSFs, thus scientifically guiding the control of catastrophic tailings dam failures.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002493InSARTailings dam failureConsolidation settlement separationFailure risk assessmentSurface displacement monitoring
spellingShingle Zefa Yang
Xiangyu Huang
Jingze Li
Zhiwei Li
Qifeng He
Jun Hu
A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
InSAR
Tailings dam failure
Consolidation settlement separation
Failure risk assessment
Surface displacement monitoring
title A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
title_full A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
title_fullStr A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
title_full_unstemmed A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
title_short A new InSAR-based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks: With the robust separation of consolidation settlements
title_sort new insar based framework for assessing tailings dam failure risks with the robust separation of consolidation settlements
topic InSAR
Tailings dam failure
Consolidation settlement separation
Failure risk assessment
Surface displacement monitoring
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843225002493
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