Innovative technologies for assessing and monitoring of surface water saturation of man-made rock and soil masses from space

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-3-98-104

Читать на русскоя языке M.V. Melikhov
Mining Institute of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №3/ 2026 p. 98-104

Abstract: This article examines current challenges and trends in the safety and monitoring of man-made rock and soil masses at Arctic mining operations. It also analyzes the potential and prospects for using space-based remote sensing technologies to monitor and manage risks associated with changes in water saturation and instability of the country rocks. A method for remote area monitoring of man-made rock and soil masses using machine vision is presented. This method utilizes multispectral optical-electronic satellite systems for automated decoding and geospatial analysis of satellite images based on the correlation patterns between water saturation of the media and the ground susceptibility to hazardous exogenous geological processes and phenomena. Results of satellite observations of the man-made slope condition in the tailings dam area are shown using the case of an operating mining complex in the North-West Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The aim is to identify and localize zones of the filled-up ground with higher water saturation characterized with the risk of hydrogeomechanical filtration and deformation processes to ensure the industrial safety of the facility and its normal operation.

Keywords: Arctic territories, mining industry, man-made rock and soil masses, hydraulic structures, industrial safety, soil water saturation, remote sensing, geodata

Acknowledgements: The article was prepared as part of State Assignment No. FMEZ-2025-0052.

For citation: Melikhov M.V. Innovative technologies for assessing and monitoring of surface water saturation of man-made rock and soil masses from space. Russian Mining Industry. 2026;(3):98–104. https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-3-98-104

Article info

Received: 11.03.2026

Revised: 24.03.2026

Accepted: 16.04.2026

Information about the author

Mikhail V. Melikhov – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, Mining Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8283-2799; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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