Earth Observations and Proximity Sensing Technologies: Safer, More Sustainable, More Efficient Mining

Modern society depends on raw materials for construction and infrastructure, but also increasingly for batteries, renewable energy, electronics, and the broader green transition. At the same time, mining faces tightening environmental expectations, safety requirements, and rising operational costs. The challenge is clear: how can we produce the minerals Europe needs while improving safety, lowering environmental impacts, and strengthening public trust? This book addresses that question by presenting practical, tested solutions based on a new generation of sensing and data technologies spanning Earth observation (EO) satellites, drone-based measurements, GNSS positioning, and proximity (in situ) sensing.
The volume was initiated and is primarily built on results from the EU Horizon 2020 project GoldenEye, which advanced the use of innovative monitoring and characterisation technologies to support safer and more sustainable mineral operations. GoldenEye’s central idea is simple but powerful: mining can be measured, understood, and managed more intelligently when we integrate information across scales from satellites that view entire mining districts, to drones that deliver site-scale detail, to local sensors and positioning systems supporting real-time operations underground and in active pits. Together, these technologies create objective, repeatable evidence of change. They can detect subtle ground movements, monitor tailings stability, map mining activity, characterise rock and ore properties, track vegetation and land-use evolution, and support early warning for environmental risks.
Crucially, the book treats mining as a complete life-cycle system, not only as “exploration and extraction”. The approaches discussed apply from early mineral exploration and resource evaluation, through mine development and active production, and onwards to closure, post-closure monitoring, and even mine reuse. For exploration, EO and hyperspectral methods can improve mineral targeting and reduce the need for costly field campaigns in remote areas. During operations, high-resolution sensing and precise positioning enable more efficient workflows and better safety management. For closure and post-closure, satellite and drone-based monitoring support objective tracking of ground stability and ecosystem recovery, strengthening compliance, transparency, and community confidence.
The volume is grounded in real-world deployment and realistic constraints. It discusses not only what technologies can do, but also their strengths, limitations, and readiness for adoption. The latter includes the skills needed, regulatory integration, and how multi-source data can be translated into reliable decisions. Overall, the book serves as both an accessible introduction and a scientific reference: responsible mining is inseparable from better measurement, and the GoldenEye legacy shows how modern sensing can enable safer, more sustainable, and more transparent mineral production.