Mines
We have considerable experience in obtaining images of surface mines, as we have been supplying images of mine sites to the states of Oregon and Washington for over 10 and 5 years, respectively.
We have developed systems that allow us to obtain these images very efficiently, and in a way that makes your job easier. Usually the actual current extent of a mine is not known, so you can't specify exactly what needs to be imaged. However, we need only a single coordinate to specify a mine's location. Our imaging systems have video aiming capability, allowing our pilots to adjust the flight path over the site to make sure we capture all of the disturbed land. We include storage ponds and land in the process of being reclaimed, in addition to the areas currently undergoing extraction.
If you would prefer to obtain an image of the entire permitted area of a mine, regardless of how much has been excavated, just supply us with a perimeter file showing the permit boundary. We will image the entire permit area and also any disturbed land outside the permit boundary.
Once you load our orthorectified, georeferenced images into your GIS with the permit boundary layers, you can easily delineate the disturbed land and determine if the mining activity is being conducted within the permitted area, as shown in the image below. Our high-quality images also enable you to monitor the progress of mine reclamation programs.
Our images are ideal for checking out sites of suspected illegal (non-permitted) mining. Just provide us with the coordinate of the site in question, and we will supply you with an image that can help you determine whether illegal digging is going on at the site, and whether or not it warrants further inspection.
With our flexible and responsive imaging services, you are not confined to planning and ordering large projects well ahead of time. You specify when you need images rather than being told when an aerial photo company will be in your area.
Our imaging services are available any time of year, within a specified time frame, or at short notice. If there is a need for immediate imaging or quick turnaround to meet a sudden or unexpected need, we can usually accommodate such requests. In some cases, weather and schedule permitting, we can acquire images the day after they are requested, process them the next day, and then make them available for downloading from our FTP site or ship them via FedEx, so you can be using them 2-3 days after requesting them.
As our images are taken with 60 percent endlap, they can be used for many stereoscopic applications. The original, non-orthorectifed versions of our high-quality images can be printed and used with a traditional stereoscope for a 3-D view of a surface mine. However, with digital images you don't need to maintain an extensive storage area for prints. Just store all of your images in their digital format and print only the ones you need. You can discard these prints when they are no longer needed, and print them again if a future need arises.
If you prefer, we can provide high-quality archival prints for your stereoscope. You can choose to have data such as the date and time the image was taken, and the coordinates of the image's centerpoint, printed along the side of the image.
Products are also available to view stereo images directly on a computer. You can choose from simple optical devices that are placed in front of a computer screen to complete systems that include special glasses to work in stereo.
Our images are useful for mines for many reasons. Please feel free to take a look around the site or contact us to get more information. Be sure to read our mines brochure to get a better idea of how we may be able to help.
View these articles and brochures for more information on forestry. Or visit the links on the left-hand side of the page.
Each year we image hundreds of mines for a variety of applications. Our images can help monitor mines more cost-effectively and accurately. This brochure shows some of our mine imaging abilities and applications.
We don't just do mines! To find out more about our other applications (like mines, agriculture, streams and more), take a look at this brochure.