OSM

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) remote sensing program provides OSMRE offices, states, and Tribes with the necessary tools to use remote sensing technologies to support Titles IV (Abandoned Mine Lands) and V (Regulation of Current Mining) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA).   As part of this support, the OSM remote sensing program provides high-resolution satellite imagery, aerial photography, and light imaging and detection (lidar) data to conduct analysis of terrain, vegetation, and hydrologic function on active mine sites to ensure reclamation is consistent with the approved mining permit.  These data are also used to support inventory, monitoring, and assessment of abandoned mine land features to ensure there is no threat to the environment or to health and human safety.

Bureau Full Name
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

High-Resolution Images Captured 35 Minutes Apart Show Mining Activity

Submitted by tadamson on

Time-series remote sensing with high-resolution imagery has allowed many industries and users the ability to detect changes in land use and land cover over time. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has contracted with Planet Labs for access to their catalog of PlanetScope SuperDove cubesat imagery.  Cubesats, which are small, inexpensive imaging satellites about the size of a shoebox, are launched on a regular basis.

Using Oblique Aerial Imagery to Aid in Synthetic Aperture Radar Interpretation

Submitted by tadamson on

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) monitors two mine sites in the State of Washington where it is difficult to obtain cloud-free multispectral imagery. OSMRE worked with the Civil Applications Committee to evaluate solutions for overcoming this limitation through high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR). SAR is an active remote sensing system in which the sensor emits a radio wave and then measures the reflected return; it is not hampered by cloud cover.

Using Synthetic Aperture Radar and Multispectral Imagery to Observe Critical Infrastructure on Former Coal Mines

Submitted by tadamson on

Commercial high-resolution multispectral imagery is available in resolutions down to 25 centimeters but can be obscured by clouds. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) observes two mine sites in the State of Washington where it is difficult to obtain cloud-free imagery.

2022 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI). This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

Bird’s-Eye View of a Dye Tracer Test Using UAS

Submitted by atripp on

Monastery Run Wetland 1 near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is a passive mine water treatment system constructed in 1997–1998 to treat multiple discharges from an abandoned underground mine. The OSMRE Technical Support Division assisted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) with diagnosing issues and improving the effectiveness of the water treatment system.

2020 DOI Remote Sensing Activities

Remotely sensed data and derived information contribute significantly to mission-critical work across the Department of the Interior (DOI). This report from the DOI Remote Sensing Working Group (DOIRSWG) highlights a sample of DOI remote sensing applications and illustrates the many types of technology, platforms, and specialized sensors employed.* DOI personnel use remote sensing technology to evaluate and monitor changing land-surface and natural resource conditions over the vast areas for which DOI has responsibility.

Pit Volume Calculations Using UAS Data

Submitted by atripp on

Geographers and remote sensing specialists at OSMRE use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS; drones) to capture images and create mathematically correct 2D and 3D models of active and abandoned coal mining sites and features. The byproducts of these models, such as elevation data and composite aerial images, help OSMRE solve problems and make decisions about reclamation activities.

Cottonwood-Wilberg Mine, Emery County, Utah Reclamation

Submitted by atripp on

The OSMRE Western Region worked with the State of Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining to monitor reclamation efforts at Cottonwood-Wilberg Mine in Emery County, Utah, using remote sensing change detection of historical photography and land use records.  OSMRE purchased high-resolution lidar and orthophotography from Juniper Unmanned of the site before major earthwork comme