Analysis of Storage Capacity Change and Dam Failure Risk for Tailings Ponds Using WebGIS-Based UAV 3D Image

Tailings ponds, essential components of mining operations worldwide, present considerable potential hazards downstream in the event of tailings dam failures. In recent years, instances of tailings dam failures, carrying potential environmental safety hazards, have occasionally occurred on a global scale due to the limited technical approaches available for safety supervision of tailings ponds. In this study, an innovative WebGIS-based unmanned aerial vehicle oblique photography (UAVOP) method was developed to analyze the storage capacity change and dam failure risk of tailings ponds. Its applicability was then validated by deploying it at a tailings pond in Yunfu City, Guangdong Province, China. The results showed that the outcomes of two phases of real-scene 3D images met the specified accuracy requirements with an RSME of 0.147–0.188 m in the plane and 0.198–0.201 m along the elevation. The storage capacities of phase I and phase II tailings ponds were measured at 204,798.63 m3 and 148,291.27 m3, respectively, with a storage capacity change of 56,031.51 m3. Moreover, the minimum flood control dam widths, minimum free heights, and dam slope ratios of the tailings pond were determined to comply with the flood control requirements, indicating a low risk of dam failure of the tailings pond. This pilot case study demonstrated the performance of the UAVOP in evaluating storage capacity change and dam failure risk for tailings ponds. It not only enhanced the efficiency of dynamic safety supervision of tailings ponds but also offered valuable references for globally analogous research endeavors.