Understanding and Analysis of

Slope Stability Radar Data

Mine Services

SSR Output (Basic)

Deformation
The measure of phase change (velocity) between
scans

Amplitude
Magnitude of resultant vector of phase return

Range
Select one range bin that is potentially covering a
pixel 15 by 15 metres (more in long range)

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Deformation (is weighted by amplitude)

Deformation=12.93mm
Amplitude=53.91

Range=436.34m

Coherence=0.95

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Deformation of rock wall, less

than 1.0mm

Effect of the
drill mast on
deformation,
amplitude
and range
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Amplitude High Amplitude from Truck Reflection

Truck

Truck

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Amplitude High Amplitude from Truck Reflection

No Truck

No Truck

Amplitude High Amplitude from Truck Reflection

Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Use Single Scan to Review Effect on Deformation

Noise introduced
in the deformation
plot by the truck

Noise introduced in
the deformation
image by the truck

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Constant range

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Range Issues

At long range (using current system) range
wrapping occurs

At short ranges strange reflection paths,
particularly in built up environments

Range bins can often changes during rain
because the most favourable target changes
(surface water running over wall changes energy
return)

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

SSR Output

Delta Amplitude
Measure of maximum change of amplitude between
the two time sliders

Delta Range
Measure of maximum change of range between the
two time sliders

Coherence
Coherence time is the time over which a propagating
wave may be considered coherent. In other words, it
is the time interval within which its phase is, on
average, predictable

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Delta Range

Delta range

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Delta Amplitude

Delta amplitude

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

SSR Control Output (for each pixel)

COHERENCE

Amplitude

Scan 1
1.00

Scan 2
Rockfall

0.82

Scan 3
Collapse

0. 21

Scan 4
Range

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

800

1.2

700

0.8
500
Deformation
400

0.6

Coherence

Coherence

Weighted Deformation (mm)

1
600

300
0.4
200

Collapse caused by several

events of rain. Low coherence
during the development of the
collapse, and some correlation
between rain and subsequent
deformation.

0.2
100

30/07 0:00

29/07 12:00

29/07 0:00

28/07 12:00

28/07 0:00

27/07 12:00

27/07 0:00

70

1.2

60

50
0.8
Rain accumulation

40

0.6

Coherence
30

Coherence

Rain Accumulation (mm)

26/07 12:00

0
26/07 0:00

Rain accumulation

0.4
20
0.2

10

30/07 0:00

29/07 12:00

29/07 0:00

28/07 12:00

28/07 0:00

27/07 12:00

27/07 0:00

26/07 12:00

0
26/07 0:00

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Coherence Measure of Rilling

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Coherence Measure of Snow

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Coherence Measure of Pipe

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Figures

Deformation plot
without machinery
noise

Select figures with care

Avoid trucks & vegetation

Remove run-away pixels
from the figure

Avoid potential artificial
effects (drill masts)

Assess any misalignment
between the camera and
SSR
Deformation plot with
machinery noise,
totally unrealistic.

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Correction Tab

Very useful to review
data in a quick manner

Check that system is
performing well

Useful to see
atmospheric correction
effects on deformation

Usually can determine
poor set up conditions

Time per scan!!!!

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Time Sliders

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

SSR Data : The big issues

1. Phase Ambiguity : runaway pixels
2. Extreme Atmospherics
3. Pixel size and minimum wall area

1 and 2 are often related!

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Phase Ambiguity

When wall movements greater than 15mm occur between scans
(approximately 180 mm/hr @ 12 min scans). The software
attempts to correct for this ambiguity, however there is a risk
that the software misinterprets the movements and causes an
error.

The software attempts to solve this problem by tracking the
velocity of each point on the wall. It then predicts the next point
in time using this predicated velocity. The measured phase is
then used to determine the movement near to this predicted
point. The predicted velocity is calculated using the history of
previous points. This allows differentiating gradual wall
movements from sudden changes due to trucks.

The problem with this technique however, is that when a wall is
accelerating, the predicated velocity will lag the true velocity.
This can result in a mistake with the velocity estimate. This
mistake will add 15 mm to every subsequent scan, until
SSRControl software on the radar is manually restarted.
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Ambiguity during fast deformation

Characteristic large
positive or negative
values

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Extreme Atmospherics

Changes in refractive index are corrected by the SSR system using a

direct measurement technique. This requires the user to select a wall
area (called the atmospheric correction region) within the scan area
that the geologist knows to be stationary. Each time the system scans
the wall, it uses the movement in this region in conjunction with its
range to calculate the refractive index in ppm. It then uses the ppm and
the range to each pixel on the wall to correct for atmospheric variations
from one scan to the next.
However, if an extreme weather front comes through the scan area, it
can suddenly change the atmospheric conditions within a single scan.
This results in the section above the atmospheric correction region
being corrected differently to the section below the atmospheric
correction region. This effect is more evident with long scan intervals
where the atmospheric variation can be greater between scans.
If alarms are set when this phenomenon occurs, the alarms are likely to
be triggered.

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Pixel Size and Minimum

Wall Movement Area

The Slope Stability Radar
(SSR) is a very effective
slope monitoring system for
both small and large areas of
instability. However, wall
movements over small areas
compared with the pixel size
cannot be measured
accurately.

The dish forms the radar
waves into a pencil beam
with a diameter of about 2.5
degrees. The area
illuminated by the radar
beam on the wall is called
the footprint

The figure to the right shows nine

pixels of a radar image, with the
central pixel highlighted.
The shaded grey
circle indicates the
corresponding
radar footprint.

Note the footprint perimeter is

fuzzy rather than sharp and the
footprint is considerably larger
than a pixel.

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Pixel Size and Small Failures

It is quite likely that for a large rock boulder to move
that the surrounding muckpile/rockmass would also
deform/displace and we would record some
deformation, however I (GroundProbe) cannot be
certain that this is the case and we might not get
enough early warning of movement.

I suggest positioning the SSR close enough so the
boulder is covered by 2+ pixels or use another risk
management technique to deal with these boulders
(with confidence). For a 2 by 2 m boulder, to achieve
the requisite distances: an SSR would have to be
within 75-100m of the face and an SSR-X around
150-200m.
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

SSR System
Shading is the size of the radar beam
The red bock is the minimum size of failure that can be detected
SSR Pixel size = 0.01745*R = approx 15m x 15m at R=850m

SSR-X System
Shading is the size of the radar beam
The red bock is the minimum size of failure that can be detected
SSR-X Pixel size = 0.008727*R = approx 7.5m X 7.5m at R=850m

SSR Specs Radar System with Pixel Processing

Post Processing Pixel size = real/3 = approx 5m x 5m at R=850m
MORE PIXELS NICER IMAGE BUT NO
DIFFERENCE TO THE SIZE OF FAILURE THAT
CAN BE RESOLVED BY THE RADAR SYSTEM !
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

SSR Set Up
Platform Requirements
Atmospheric Region Issues
Wall files without stable reference
region
Effect of Oblique Monitoring

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Rotation of the
SSR
will cause
rotation
of the
atmospheric
region

t
n
e
m
e
c
a
l
p
dis
nly
o
e
d
u
t
i
n
g
ma

Atmospheric Region

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Common Set Up Problems

Vegetation Traffic in the atmospheric
region

Atmospheric region not stable

SSR system not stable

Power cables in the scan area

Radar set up too far away, at ranges
exceeding 1750m and with huge scans
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

In

cre
a

sin
g

De
fo
rm
ati

on

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Data Review Process

Deformation
Is it within normal limits purely stress relief or structurally
controlled deformation
Size of unusual deformation input into hazard/risk
management techniques

Slope Instability
Continual assessment of SSR data for selection of most
appropriate alarms
Input into hazard/risk management map/plans

Failure (functional failure or collapse)

Back analysis of failure to determine geometry, alarm
settings, parameters etc

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Risk Framework
6. Monitor and Review

1. Select Context
Select role for
monitoring
systems

2. Identify
Hazard
Find areas
showing
excessive
deformation

Communicate and Consult

(Monitor movement and review alarms if set )

3. Analyse
Hazard
Monitoring used
to assess
deformation
magnitude, rate,
failure size to
assess failure

4. Evaluate
Hazard
(use organisation
input to rank and
evaluate hazards)

5. Treat Hazards
Reduce likelihood
by aiding
engineering control
of failure. Reduce
consequence by
set up of
geotechnical
monitoring alarm
system evacuation

(Train personnel on monitoring system use and show data)

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

Session lessons to be learnt

Importance of reviewing the SSR data to
ensure that the deformations measured
are not compromised by artificial effects

Some understanding of ambiguity,
atmospherics and minimum size

Value setting up scan to minimise
problems
Cerro Verde SSR Training
Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence

3 things to think about ?

1. Does any of this information change the
way you might use the radar?
2. Do you understand the importance of
good set up to reduce artificial effects?
3. Will georeferencing add value to your
operation?

Cerro Verde SSR Training

Jan/2011
Commercial in Confidence