This work evaluated various indirectremote techniques for detecting surficial changes and structural land deformation at the Hanford site. Given the partial collapse of the PUREX tunnel, and possible surface subsidence at other burial sites containing radioactive waste and contaminated equipment, timely alert and knowledge related to land surface elevation changes has emerged as a management priority.
Findings of this study suggests that space borne RADAR and multispectral based-analysis would be of significant value in detecting changes in surficial and structural land features that may be otherwise undetectable or unnoticed from field observations alone. A continuous, and potentially semi-automated, monitoring program would add critical insight to recovering from, and predicting episodic type events, such as the tunnel collapse. Furthermore, an indirect approach ultimately saves resources and time, and avoids unnecessary risk associated with ground-based monitoring. Various options for supporting such an effort are described in the final section of this document.
Revised: November 14, 2018 |
Published: December 18, 2017