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Brazilian dam collapse could have been predicted with latest satellite radar imaging technique, study fi nds


One of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters - a dam collapse that also killed more than 200 people - could have been foreseen with the right monitoring technology, according to a new study by the University of Nottingham and Durham University.


The high-profi le catastrophe took place on 25 January 2019 at a tailings dam near the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine, close to the town of Brumadinho, in Minas Gerais state, south-east Brazil.


When the dam collapsed, it caused a torrent of sludge to cover surrounding land; taking lives, destroying homes and livelihoods and polluting rivers with toxic material.


Owned by Vale, Brazil’s largest mining company, the tailings dam was used for more than 40 years to hold waste from the mine. While it is not uncommon for such dams to move as more material is added and it compacts and shifts, accelerated movement shouldn’t happen; it’s a precursor that failure will occur. Brumadinho was the second Vale-owned mining dam to collapse in recent years and one of many widely-reported failures worldwide.


There are growing concerns about the stability of this particular type of dam and a signifi cant number need enhanced monitoring says lead author Assistant Professor Stephen Grebby from the Nottingham Geospatial Institute at the University.


Dr Grebby, an expert at mapping the Earth’s surface from space, said: “Most mining companies currently rely upon ground-based sensors to monitor the stability of dams. However, these typically offer an inadequate coverage of measurements over the whole of the dam, which can make it diffi cult to detect movement or other signs of distress.”


Applying InSAR (satellite radar imaging) to check for small ground movements in and around dams is not current standard practice and this is something Dr Grebby would like to see change.


He collaborated with Durham University and University of Nottingham spin-out company Terra Motion Ltd on the study to identify whether failure at Brumadinho could have been foreseen.


They used an advanced InSAR technique called Intermittent Small


Baseline Subset (ISBAS), developed by the University of Nottingham and Terra Motion, which can help overcome the limitations faced when using some of the more conventional InSAR techniques over vegetated terrain. Another benefi t of this technology, over on-the-ground sensors, is it looks down from above and offers a more complete picture of ground movements with millimetre-level accuracy.


Dr Grebby adds: “Our ISBAS InSAR results revealed that different areas of the dam were moving at different rates and some of these were seen to accelerate suddenly during the two months preceding the collapse. Despite the dam being monitored by the mining company using standard techniques with no apparent warning raised, our analyses of the precursory movement indicate the timing of the collapse was foreseeable.


“If monitored routinely, using the ISBAS InSAR technique, the failure date could have been predicted to within a week of it happening. Crucially, this prediction would have been possible around 40 days prior to the collapse, allowing time for a warning to be raised that the dam was becoming unstable. This could have led to more in-depth monitoring or other mitigation measures to avert the loss of life and environmental disaster that tragically unfolded.”


The full fi ndings have just been published in the paper ‘Advanced analysis of satellite data reveals ground deformation precursors to the Brumadinho Tailings Dam collapse’ in the Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment.


Professor David Toll, Co-Director of the Institute for Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University, said “Identifying an acceleration of ground movements during a period of wetting, just prior to the failure, helped to corroborate the anticipated failure mechanism. The collapse of the tailings dam can be explained by a reduction in suction in the tailings contributing to internal strains that could induce static liquefaction in the brittle materials.”


Professor Jon Gluyas, Executive Director of Durham Energy Institute at Durham University said, “The novel use of InSAR satellite data to monitor the stability of dams is a real breakthrough as it means that you don’t need


Top left and the bottom right are satellite images of the Brumadinho tailings dam taken before and after the collapse on 25 January 2019. Top right and bottom left show precursory movement across the dam (red and yellow colours), which the researchers analysed to fi nd that the collapse could have been predicted.


to instrument the ground in and around the dam to monitor it. Monitoring is thus no longer solely in the hands of the operating company.”


Dr Andrew Sowter, CTO of Terra Motion Limited and inventor of the ISBAS advanced InSAR technique said, “This work would not have been possible without the availability of free satellite data from the Sentinel-1 mission which has global reach and is sustainable for the foreseeable future. Along with the innovative approach described in this paper and our unique InSAR products, this means that a low-cost operational remote tailings monitoring system is within reach at local, regional and even national scales anywhere in the world.”


The researchers are now looking to develop the technology as a software that could be offered to the mining industry, which is looking out for a reliable, early warning system to predict the risk of imminent collapse at tailing dams. Combined with on-the-ground sensors, Dr Grebby sees advanced InSAR techniques as a valuable addition to the monitoring tool box to evacuate and protect life.


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Alphasense bolsters sales team with three new appointments


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54200pr@reply-direct.com Online sales boost for


Endress + Hauser More and more measurement instruments are being ordered online from Endress+Hauser. In the fi rst fi ve months of 2020, incoming orders via endress.com nearly doubled. With the introduction of the new FLEX product segmentation structure, integration of the global E-direct portal into the website and further optimisation of the e-commerce area on endress.com, fi nding and ordering the right products online will be even faster and easier for customers.


“By merging both shops and introducing several innovations on endress.com, we are making it even easier for customers to do business with us digitally,” says Nikolaus Krüger, Chief Sales Offi cer at the Endress+Hauser Group. While the global E-direct portal was designed for simple products that serve basic measurement needs, endress.com offers the entire Endress+Hauser portfolio. With the migration on course to be completed by the end of the year, everything will be available at a glance and from a single source online, thus eliminating the need to switch shops and accounts.


Will Parrett Andy Dickinson Nathan Thompson


Alphasense has announced the appointment of three new senior sales positions. Andy Dickinson joins as Regional Sales Director (Rest of World), Will Parrett joins as European Sales Manager, and Nate Thompson will be North American Sales Manager. Welcoming all three to the company, Sales & Marketing Director Arthur Burnley says: “Since its formation in 1996, Alphasense has grown rapidly as a result of heavy and consistent investment in research & innovation, sensor quality and customer service. We now command a 40% share of our core markets, and this success has been built on the development of strong partnerships with our instrument manufacturer customers.


“The addition of three highly talented people to our international sales team is the result of an ambitious growth strategy that will be underpinned by the development of new partnerships and by an expansion of the sensor range that we supply to our existing customers.”


With a Master’s degree in Instrumentation and Analytical Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Science and the Environment, Andy Dickinson has 35 years’ of experience in the development and sales of gas sensors.


Nate Thompson has a Bachelor of Science, Marketing degree and joins Alphasense with 14 years’ of experience selling safety and gas detection solutions across North America. Most recently, this included 10 years with Industrial Scientifi c.


After gaining a degree in Marine Technology, Will Parrett has spent 18 years in technical sales and marketing roles, and joins from Honeywell Analytics where he was recently recognised as the top software sales performer in Europe.


The three positions commence in February/March 2021 and Arthur Burnley says: “I warmly congratulate the appointees and look forward to working with them. All three have strong scientifi c backgrounds, much of it in gas detection, which is a clear demonstration of Alphasense’s commitment to high levels of technical support.”


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To do that the FLEX product segmentation was introduced on endress. com. This new feature supplements the existing selection options and divides the Endress+Hauser measurement instrument portfolio into four areas according to the needs of the customer. The ‘Fundamental’ segment contains basic products that are easy to select, install and operate. ‘Lean’ features reliable and robust instruments designed for the effi cient management of core processes. ‘Extended’ shows all innovative process optimization technologies, while the ‘Xpert’ segment combines specialized products for demanding applications. “FLEX makes it even easier for our customers to locate the right product for their individual needs,” says Nikolaus Krüger.


In addition, the endress.com e-commerce area was expanded with useful functions to improve the user experience. After signing in, customers can now use their ‘My Endress+Hauser’ account to more easily manage all of their activities, such as product offers and orders. The account structure, shopping cart and checkout have been optimized as well. Enhanced order tracking provides full transparency, which now gives customers the ability to call up the status of their orders at any time and from any device.


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IET JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021 www.envirotech-online.com For More Info, email:


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