POSSIBILITIES OF USING EARTH OBSERVATIONS FOR ANALYZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FORMER COAL MINE IN VIHOVICI

Abstract

The paper presents recently developed methods along with a toolset for monitoring the environmental impact of mining operations, and in particular, for analyzing water quality, by using earth observations. Cutting-edge technology is proposed for the combined use of aerial lightweight measurements, including hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Water quality was analyzed using airborne and in situ measured water data. Measurements of the water-leaving radiance (Rw) spectra provide sufficient information to estimate water quality because of the combination of parameters derived from the measurements: total suspended matter (TSM), phytoplankton (with the most active component Chlorophyll a, CHL-a) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The in situ Rw spectra were used along with the in situ concentrations measurements to find the most optimal band ratio algorithm for each water quality parameter. Analysis of the linear regression between the band ratios and the concentration measurements showed very strong correlation. The small root mean square errors (RMSE) for the most of the parameters lead to conclusion that there is no significant change in water quality resulting from a latent effect of the old mining industry or waste dumping within the region of Mostar.