Keywords: geographic information system, geological database, open-source, GRASS, mine, quarry, mining management, grade distribution.

Our objective is to introduce the open-source software GRASS GIS (geographic resources analysis support system geographic information system) as a geological database for use in the development of mines and quarries. Geological database software places a heavy financial burden on mining or quarry companies. Using GRASS GIS 6.4, grade distributions and mining conditions were considered first, after which some case studies were introduced for limestone quarries.

A map of a mining area describing the mining faces and contour lines is scanned. The scanned image is analyzed to create position coordinates for contour lines. In the case of element concentration distribution, positions corresponding to the attribute value of each element concentration ore mined were checked. The coordinate positions of concentration values were specified by the boring positions. This information was converted into a text file format for individual cases. By importing these files into GRASS GIS, the geological database was created including grade distributions and mining conditions.

Based on the proposed technique, some case studies on the application and analysis of limestone quarries using GRASS GIS were presented.

The quality level of limestone is generally determined not only by the major element but the concentration of trace elements [1]. Distribution of limestone in the mining area was evaluated using multiple databases of concentration patterns. Concentration maps of multiple elements were binarized following the classification based on element concentrations in limestone. The distribution of the purposes was analyzed by an inter-map operation for the two binarized distribution maps.

Mining plans must be able to estimate the distribution of the quality level in the limestone mine with precise control over the product quality. Locations with a small variance of major element concentration within an appropriate surrounding area were extracted from the grade distribution map in the upper level stored in the database. The mean value within the area was calculated and the value was set to the corresponding location in the lower level of the distribution map. Finally, the grade distribution map at the lower level was drawn through interpolation by means of the three-dimensional normal Kriging method between the upper level and the estimated level.

For more useful applications, future work on this method would be to resolve some issues, such as the addition and application of production planning simulations, three-dimensional visualization and analysis of stored database.

1

T. Ito, T. Nishiyama, "A Test of Mining Simulation for Phosphorus Adjustment in Limestone Quarry", Natural Resources Research, 12(3), 223-228, 2003. doi:10.1023/A:1025132122292

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