Different sources of (geo-) data are used in the project: from satellite images, drone flights, modelling of geological structures based on available resources, in-situ measurements up to survey campaigns using mobile GIS. An important aspect of post-mining research is the continuous monitoring of the mining area to get a full process understanding. With this process understanding, important (postmining) aspects and effects can be derived and fed back into early stages of the mine life cycle. In this article, methods for monitoring post-mining processes will be presented on the example of the closed Prosper-Haniel mine. MethodologyThe article by Pawlik et al. [4] presents the concept of using various methods of geomonitoring of post-mining processes (Figure 4), which include satellite observations, drone flights and in-situ measurements.

Mining processes have a significant impact on the surrounding environment even after the exploitation has ceased. Today a continuous monitoring of post-mining processes in the areas of water management, vegetation and air pollution is important. In the project “Digital Twin – Integrated Geomonitoring” funded by the RAG Stiftung (no.20-0013) and carried out in cooperation with the Geological Survey of North-Rhine Westphalia, scientists are investigating the possibilities of integrating and fusing data from multiple sources (mining and geological maps, in-situ measurements, drone flights and satellite missions). The goal is to understand the causes and phenomena occurring on the Earth’s surface and thus to generate a process understanding. The key issue of this project is geo-monitoring of the environment in mining areas using vegetation indicators. This paper presents an analysis of the vegetation health of the cover for the period 1984-2021 using selected remote sensing indicators: NDVI, GNDVI, SAVI, MSAVI, NDWI and MNDWI. The studies indicate the possibility of long-term spatial-temporal observations of a selected test area in order to observe the impact of post-mining processes in the area of the closed Prosper-Haniel mine.

Mobile GIS allows users who work in the field to acquire, edit, update, store, display and analyse data. It combines modern technologies such as mobile devices (tablet, smartphone), software (applications in Android and iOS), location of a point / place using GNSS transmitter and providing wireless connectivity via the internet. An important step in any scientific research should be the verification of the obtained results, which can be done by using a modern tool such as mobile GIS. In this article the characteristics of mobile GIS will be presented as well as selected examples of modern research carried out at universities in Germany: Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola University (THGA), Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF) and Poland – Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST).