Mining Tailings Monitoring Tackles Data Overload

Mines now collect far more data from tailings storage facilities (TSFs) than ever before, with some sites operating thousands of sensors that generate millions of data points daily. Experts say the challenge has shifted from gathering information to interpreting it—determining which data matter, how to act on findings, and how to document decisions for audit purposes. Insight Terra CEO Alastair Bovim notes that increased monitoring should improve risk visibility, but siloed data and varied technologies can still leave operators piecing together the picture.

Dassault Systèmes’ GEOVIA and Insight Terra highlighted these issues during a webinar on 21 July, emphasizing the need for continuous performance monitoring, governance, and compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Senior Virtual Twin Specialist Rohit Prabhu stressed maintaining a complete history of each monitoring event, including actions, timestamps and comments, to support engineering decisions and AI‑assisted analysis.

Globally, mining produces over 100 billion tonnes of tailings each year, posing significant environmental risks such as water contamination, soil degradation and threats to local communities. Effective tailings management—through strategies like remote sensing, improved monitoring systems and post‑closure land reclamation—aims to mitigate these impacts and enable sustainable land use.