Last year on February 13, 2024, a catastrophic landslide hit the Çöpler Gold Mine operated by Alamos Gold in Turkey. Tragically, it killed nine miners under the rubble. This catastrophe has led to an outpouring of pleas for a need for increased surveillance of mine sites, especially in areas with high levels of tectonic activity. Pınar Büyükakpınar, a faithful geoscience steward, undertook a years-long, thorough scientific investigation of the landslide. She released shocking findings that underscore the immediate need to surveil these operations constantly to avert future tragedies.
The Çöpler Gold Mine had been loudly waving red flags of instability and danger well before the November landslide took place. After extensive field research, they discovered that the site had been slowly but steadily moving for at least four years. It was subjected to a current lateral deformation of 60 millimeters per year. This study documents troubling subsidence around the cyanide leach pond on the property. It reflects an extremely concerning 85 millimeters of deformation per year on average. This new documentation paints a deeply troubling picture of the possible leakage of toxic waste into the adjacent Euphrates River, a source of drinking water for millions.
Study Findings and Methodology
Büyükakpınar and her colleagues conducted field visits to the project site, the Çöpler Gold Mine. They combined these new satellite detections with photographic documentation to verify ground patterns of deformation as well. Their analysis utilized interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology to evaluate spaceborne radar data, providing deeper insights into the site’s geological behavior.
The Tohoku-Oki slip model, used for computing synthetic seismograms The study, published in The Seismic Record, used data from temporary seismic stations up to 400 km distant. Our ambitious data collection revealed two different seismic pulses. These pulses occurred 48 s apart, indicating definitively that two mass sources fed into the landslide.
This claim only underscores the urgent need for more efficient technology and innovative practices. This includes making major investments in how we track seismic activity and other broader risks with mining operations.
“Our findings underline the need for seismic detection systems that go beyond earthquakes to include secondary hazards like landslides,” – Pınar Büyükakpınar
The report exposes dangers caused by Çöpler Gold Mine. It raises alarm bells for wider threats posed by such mining operations. The study’s authors found deformation anomalies across much of the mine. If these policy concerns are left unaddressed, many of them have the potential to set off cascading disasters.
The Risks of Deformation
As dangerous as this is, Büyükakpınar explained how the continuing deformation of the cyanide leach pond sets a terrible example.
Together, these findings highlight how ongoing vigilance and quick action are critical ingredients of successful disaster response and recovery in mining settings.
“This calls for urgent action, as our observations suggest an increasing risk the pond could fail, potentially releasing toxic waste into the nearby Euphrates River,” – Pınar Büyükakpınar
Considering the study’s results, Büyükakpınar suggests that infrastructure management should be combined with ongoing monitoring and fast response systems. These steps alone would greatly reduce the risk of danger posed by mining operations, particularly in areas prone to earthquakes.
Recommendations for Future Monitoring
This proactive approach strengthens safety measures. It needs to make sure that mining operations don’t put nearby communities and ecosystems at greater risk than needed.
“Our findings suggest that integrating infrastructure management with continuous monitoring, rapid response mechanisms, and cooperation between regulators and mine operators can avoid future disasters,” – Pınar Büyükakpınar
Büyükakpınar said she aims to see their monitoring methodology used in future applications.
These advancements have the potential to transform how government and private industries assess and mitigate risks from increasingly common natural disasters.
“In the future, it will be interesting to test whether the approach can be extended and applied to detect submarine landslides, as they are of high relevance and have the potential to induce tsunamis,” – Pınar Büyükakpınar
Such advancements could revolutionize how industries manage risks associated with natural disasters.