Scholarly record

THE CONCEPT OF USING THE GIS SYSTEM IN UNDERGROUND MINING

Dorota Pałka

Abstract

The geographic information system is a widely used IT tool to support the management process in the field of geographic information. It is widely used in geodesy, cartography, construction and many other areas. It is used more and more frequently for spatial analyzes, the purpose of which is to determine the impact of various factors on the state of the environment or broadly understood security. Due to its versatility and the increasing availability the attempts are being made to apply this system in new areas like underground mining. The article presents the concept of the application in the wider than currently range of GIS tools in underground coal mining. Until now, in Polish mines, the possibilities of this system have been used to a small extent. Mining companies have been collecting surveying and geological documentation for many years in a digital form, but in most cases it is only a collection of raw data. To a large extent, underground mining uses numerical maps, or traditional analog maps, the elements of which are not related to spatial relations and do not have descriptive attributes. The presented concept assumes a wider use of GIS in mining. It would include the creation of one unified system using digital mapping and a common database in a mining enterprise. At the same time, it would enable the merger of several areas of mining activity. The aim of the presented concept is to seek to automate the mapping, transparency and readability of its content, the use of spatial mining exploitation models, fragments of excavations, machinery and equipment, and evacuation routes. The developed database should be practically applied in many areas e.g. to assess mining conditions, to model the deposit, to expand or liquidate the mining plant, to analyze hydro geological and geochemical data, to support management of fixed assets and property rights, to analyze the impact of mining activities on the environment, to plan post-mining reclamation and land development and to educate and contact with local communities. As you can see the possibilities of using GIS are really wide. The article discusses the basic assumptions of the GIS system and presents the concept of its application in mining. The current state of mining in Silesia area is also discussed. The presented concept creates great opportunities to use IT tools, databases and digital systems to develop a coherent interactive map of mining companies.

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