Integrated geological-geophysical and UAS proximal sensing approach to the study of ground water movement between two open-pit pools in a mine area

The aim of this work is to combine geological/geophysical techniques with proximal sensing based on Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for advanced 3D modeling, in a possible post-mining landscape recovery of abandoned mine sites. In this framework a test area in central Sardinia (Italy) was studied. The application of the integrated geological-geophysical and UAV photogrammetric survey approach proved successful in characterizing the basement rocks of the investigated area and allowed to localize structural discontinuities that can guide the groundwater circulation. The results of this study can represent the indispensable knowledge base to contribute to constraining the hydrogeology numerical model needed for the mine site rehabilitation and reasonable planning of the possible post-mining landscape recovery. The methodological sequence used in this study can be reproduced in other similar abandoned mining sites thus giving an important contribution to an efficient and cost-effective performance of the restoration project.