Journal article
Automation of slope deformation monitoring at Muruntau Open Pit Mine
Автоматизация мониторинга деформаций бортов карьера «Мурунтау»
- Navoi State University of Mining and Technologies, Navoi, Uzbekistan
- Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company, Navoi, Uzbekistan
https://doi.org/10.17580/gzh.2026.03.13
Highlights
- Pit walls zoned into stable, nominally stable and unstable sites.
- Deformation is fastest near the zones of regional faults.
- Instruments: Leica TS06 and TM50i total stations in GeoMoS; target recognition up to 3 km, 0.5″.
Keywords
- Muruntau open pit mine
- open pit wall
- deformation
- geomechanics
- stability
- zoning
Summary
Deep open-pit mining carries high geomechanical risk from deformation of the pit walls. The Muruntau open pit, one of the largest gold deposits in the world, works in difficult geological, tectonic and geodynamic conditions that strongly affect the stability of the rock mass. Using data on the geological structure, the physical and mechanical properties of the rocks, the hydrogeological conditions and earlier deformations, the authors zoned the pit walls into stable, nominally stable and unstable sites.
Deformation develops fastest near the zones of influence of regional faults and in structurally complex parts of the rock mass. Displacements were recorded with a Leica TS06 electronic total station and a Leica TM50i robotic total station in the GeoMoS automated monitoring system, whose Automatic Target Recognition works at ranges up to 3 km with an angular accuracy of 0.5″. The horizontal and vertical displacement rates help to detect stages of active deformation and to assess their hazard.
How to cite
Sh. T. Tadzhiev and Sh. M. Sadinov (2026). Automation of slope deformation monitoring at Muruntau Open Pit Mine. Gornyi Zhurnal, 2026, No. 3, pp. 79–84. https://doi.org/10.17580/gzh.2026.03.13