Virtual Mine Monitoring with Web Map Applications

Submitted by atripp on

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of OSMRE employees have easily transitioned into a maximum telework schedule as much work can be done remotely. With technology in place to stay in contact and have virtual meetings, they continue to work successfully on collaborative assignments. On the other hand, employees that have assignments that involve travel and being in the field have faced challenges completing some of their regular assignments. The OSMRE GIS team has been providing geospatial tools and products to support the mine inspectors and other field personnel. One example is the creation of web map applications that allow mine inspectors to remotely view surface coal mines and do collaborative work with the rest of the mine team members.

The web maps are created with ESRI’s Web AppBuilder and are hosted on ArcGIS Online. The maps contain several interactive layers:

  • Current high-resolution satellite imagery requested through the U.S. Geological Survey, including Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy (CRSSP) Imagery-Derived Requirements (CIDR) obtained through the NextView Contract as well as previous collects archived in the Global Enhancement Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) Delivery (G-EGD) / EnhancedView WebHosting Service website.
  • Mid-resolution Sentinel-2 European Space Agency satellite image service. The image service has been configured to automatically update with the latest image containing less than 20% cloud coverage.
  • Reference mine data such as the mine permit boundary, pit labels and mine features, post-mining land use, bond status, reclamation status, environmental resources monitoring locations, and other mine specific layers.

Editable point, line, and polygon layers allow users to create new features on the map with comments that are saved to the map and viewable by the rest of the mine team. The web map applications are simple and offer basic analytical tools (such as measurement, coordinate conversion, bookmark, and swipe tools). Although OSMRE has been using web maps and web map applications for a while now, these have rapidly become even more popular recently by allowing field personnel to continue to monitor mine sites remotely.

Web Map Application of the Trapper Mine in Colorado.

Platform
Author Name
Aldo Plascenia
Author Email
aplascencia@osmre.gov