Artisanal and Small-Scale Mine Detection in Semi-Desertic Areas by Improved U-Net


Por: Nava L., Cuevas M., Meena S.R., Catani F., Monserrat O.

Publicada: 1 ene 2022
Resumen:
In this letter, we propose a deep learning (DL)-based approach, which exploits multispectral Sentinel-2 open-source data and a small-size inventory to map artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The study area is in central northern Burkina Faso (Africa) and is characterized by a semi-desert environment that makes mapping challenging. In sub-Saharan Africa, ASM represents a source of subsistence for a significant number of individuals. However, because ASM are often illegal and uncontrolled, the materials employed in the excavation process are highly dangerous for the environment as well as for the lives of the people involved in the mining activities. One of the most important aspects regarding ASM is the record of their spatial location, which, at the moment, is missing in most of the African regions. The performance evaluation of two state-of-the-art DL architectures [U-Net and attention deep supervised multiscale U-Net (ADSMS U-Net)] is provided, along with an in-depth analysis of the predictions when dealing with both dry and rainy seasons. The ADSMS U-Net architecture yields generally more accurate predictions than the basic U-Net allowing us to better discriminate ASM in such an environment. The findings show that the proposed approach can detect ASM in semi-desertic areas starting with a few samples at a low cost in terms of both human and financial resources.

Filiaciones:
Nava L.:
 University of Padova, Machine Intelligence and Slope Stability Laboratory (MISS-Lab), Department of Geosciences, Padua, 35129, Italy

Cuevas M.:
 Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Geomatics Research Unit, Department of Remote Sensing, Barcelona, 08860, Spain

Meena S.R.:
 University of Padova, Machine Intelligence and Slope Stability Laboratory (MISS-Lab), Department of Geosciences, Padua, 35129, Italy

Catani F.:
 University of Padova, Machine Intelligence and Slope Stability Laboratory (MISS-Lab), Department of Geosciences, Padua, 35129, Italy

Monserrat O.:
 Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Geomatics Research Unit, Department of Remote Sensing, Barcelona, 08860, Spain
ISSN: 1545598X





IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING LETTERS
Editorial
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 445 HOES LANE, PISCATAWAY, NJ 08855-4141 USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 19 Número:
Páginas:
WOS Id: 000891200500005
imagen hybrid, Green Published, All Open Access; Green Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access

MÉTRICAS