TL;DR: Open-pit slope monitoring is led by real-time radar, because people work under the wall. Automated total stations track fixed points around the clock, satellite InSAR watches the wider area, and in-ground sensors track subsurface movement. Periodic surveys add the record of how a wall moved across months. Most mines run several of these together.
Key takeaways
- Monitoring saves lives in large failures. According to the Geological Society of America, monitoring let Bingham Canyon evacuate before its 2013 wall collapse, and no one was injured.
- The failures can be enormous. According to the same account, the Bingham Canyon slide deposited about 65 million cubic meters of material.
- Radar watches walls in real time. According to Orica, GroundProbe slope stability radars deliver real-time wall stability data with sub-millimeter precision.
- Satellites watch the wider pit. According to the European Space Agency, Sentinel-1 radar satellites repeat their orbit every 6 to 12 days, enough for slow, wide-area movement.
- Surveys measure what moved. At Bingham Canyon, the operator compared elevation models from before and after the slide to estimate the mass that moved.
How do open pits monitor slope stability?
Open pits monitor slope stability with layers: ground-based radar scanning critical walls continuously, automated total stations reading prisms around the clock, satellite InSAR watching the whole pit and surroundings, in-ground instruments such as extensometers and piezometers, and periodic drone or survey campaigns. Geotechnical engineers combine the readings into trigger action response plans.
Each layer answers a different question. Radar answers "is this wall accelerating now?". Prisms answer "how far has this point moved, in 3D?". InSAR answers "where else is the ground moving?". Surveys answer "how has the whole pit changed since last month?". A monitoring program built on one layer leaves gaps in the others.
What the 2013 Bingham Canyon slide showed
At Bingham Canyon in Utah, the operator ran automated geodetic networks, extensometers and ground-based radar interferometry for years. According to the Geological Society of America, rising movement in early 2013 led the mine to evacuate the area and announce that failure was imminent, about seven hours before the first collapse. No one was injured, although 14 haul trucks and three shovels were affected.
How did we choose and compare the systems?
We chose systems that open-pit mines use for slope and wall monitoring, and compared them on real-time or periodic use, precision, coverage, data types in one view, outside access and pricing. The list is grouped by layer, with the survey record group first and Birdi (birdi.io) first in it. The order is not a ranking.
Every fact was checked on the vendor's own website or help center on October 7, 2026. Radar vendors do not publish prices. Where a system needs specialist staff to run it, we say so.
The best slope stability monitoring systems in 2026
The slope stability monitoring systems compared here are Birdi, GroundProbe, IDS GeoRadar, Reutech Mining, Leica GeoMoS and Trimble 4D Control. One is a survey record, three are slope radar suppliers, and two run automated total stations. Each entry carries the same fields, grouped by layer, checked on October 7, 2026.
Survey and prism record
1. Birdi
Best for: Geotechnical and survey teams that want periodic prism readings banded against tolerances, and the drone record of how a wall moved between alarms.
Typical customer size / segment: Mid-sized mining and quarry teams of roughly 30 to 500 staff.
Key strengths:
- Prism reference sets on the site, with warning and action tolerances per site and a versioned history.
- Prism movement reports from the whole network down to each prism, exported as a PDF.
- Difference grids between surveys show where the wall surface changed, on Growth and Ultimate.
Real-time or periodic: Periodic, at each survey. Not an alarm system.
Access for people outside the paid team: Guests view and download without using a paid seat.
Data types in one view: Orthomosaics, elevation models, point clouds, prism reference sets and documents.
Watch-outs: Not for a team that needs real-time alarms from this tool alone. It also does not suit a GIS analyst who needs a full desktop GIS.
Pricing: Growth is $287 USD a month, billed annually. Prism reference sets need Ultimate, priced by quote (checked October 7, 2026).
Slope stability radar
2. GroundProbe (Orica)
Best for: Critical walls where people work below and continuous, real-time alarms are needed.
Typical customer size / segment: Open-pit mines and tailings operators; part of Orica's Geosolutions group.
Key strengths:
- Real-time wall stability data with sub-millimeter precision, according to Orica.
- Radar models for different ranges, including the SSR-SARx for large slopes.
- Alarming for early warning.
Real-time or periodic: Real-time.
Access for people outside the paid team: Through its monitoring software; terms by quote.
Data types in one view: Radar deformation maps and time series.
Watch-outs: It measures along its line of sight, needs a clear view of the face, and is a significant capital and operating cost.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
3. IDS GeoRadar (Hexagon)
Best for: Mines that want 360-degree, 3D radar monitoring of the pit from one unit.
Typical customer size / segment: Open-pit mines from small pits to the largest operations, according to IDS GeoRadar.
Key strengths:
- ArcSAR Neo, described as the first fully 3D ground-based SAR for 360-degree slope monitoring.
- Configurations that upgrade by license as the pit grows.
- Integration with Hexagon's monitoring software.
Real-time or periodic: Real-time.
Access for people outside the paid team: Through Hexagon's software; terms by quote.
Data types in one view: Radar deformation data, with other sensors through Hexagon.
Watch-outs: Like all radar, it needs line of sight and specialist interpretation.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
4. Reutech Mining
Best for: Mines that want a choice of radar formats, from modular to solo units, for walls and tailings.
Typical customer size / segment: Open-pit mines and tailings facilities.
Key strengths:
- MSR radar range, including Solo, Modular and Halo units.
- Continuous, real-time monitoring of tailings storage facilities as well as walls.
- MSR Halo software and MSR Connect for data access.
Real-time or periodic: Real-time.
Access for people outside the paid team: Through its software; terms by quote.
Data types in one view: Radar deformation data.
Watch-outs: It needs line of sight to the face and trained geotechnical staff to set alarms and interpret results.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Automated total stations
5. Leica GeoMoS (Hexagon)
Best for: Mines running automated total stations and GNSS to read prisms continuously.
Typical customer size / segment: Mine survey and monitoring teams.
Key strengths:
- Continuous or periodic monitoring with scalable licensing.
- Network adjustment and third-party sensor modules.
- Pairs with Leica's monitoring total stations, which aim automatically to half a second.
Real-time or periodic: Both.
Access for people outside the paid team: Through Leica's viewing options; terms by quote.
Data types in one view: Total station, GNSS, imaging and sensor data.
Watch-outs: Point measurements only, and the instruments need maintenance.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
6. Trimble 4D Control
Best for: Automated movement detection from total stations, GNSS and geotechnical sensors in one alarming platform.
Typical customer size / segment: Survey and monitoring contractors and mine survey teams.
Key strengths:
- Geodetic, environmental and geotechnical sensors in one platform.
- Scalable conditional alarming.
- Real-time and post-processed analysis.
Real-time or periodic: Both.
Access for people outside the paid team: Sharing of real-time analysis with stakeholders; terms by quote.
Data types in one view: Total station, GNSS and sensor data.
Watch-outs: It depends on installed instruments maintained by surveyors.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Where does periodic survey fit in slope monitoring?
Periodic survey fits between and around the real-time systems. It records the whole wall surface at each campaign, reads prisms against tolerances, and shows how the pit changed over months. It does not raise alarms. At Bingham Canyon, comparing elevation models before and after the slide is how the operator estimated the 165 million tons that moved.
So drone surveys suit three jobs in slope monitoring: the trend across months, the visual inspection of benches and catch berms without people at the face, and the record a geotechnical engineer reviews. Our guide to prism monitoring methods compared sets out how the layers combine.
GroundProbe, IDS GeoRadar or Reutech?
All three supply ground-based slope radar for real-time wall monitoring. The choice usually turns on the radar format your pit needs (one 360-degree unit or several fixed units), range, existing software, and local support. Ask each for references at a pit like yours, and for the interpretation support they provide.
Frequently asked questions
What is slope stability radar?
Slope stability radar is a ground-based radar that scans a pit wall repeatedly and compares the returns to detect very small movements, often sub-millimeter. It monitors continuously and raises alarms when movement accelerates past thresholds the geotechnical engineer sets, so people can be cleared from under the wall in time.
How do mines predict wall failure?
By watching for accelerating movement. Radar, prisms and in-ground instruments track displacement over time, and engineers look for movement that speeds up rather than settles. At Bingham Canyon in 2013, accelerating displacement led the operator to evacuate and announce that failure was imminent, hours before the collapse.
How accurate is slope radar?
Slope radar vendors publish sub-millimeter precision for movement along the radar's line of sight. Orica, for example, describes GroundProbe radars as delivering real-time wall stability data with sub-millimeter precision. Accuracy in practice depends on range, atmosphere and the geometry of the wall relative to the radar.
What is a trigger action response plan?
A trigger action response plan sets pre-defined trigger levels for monitored readings and the actions to take when each is exceeded, from closer inspection to clearing an area. It turns monitoring data into decisions, so everyone knows what a given reading means and who acts on it.
Can drones monitor pit walls?
Yes, as a periodic layer. Drones capture the whole wall without people at the face, read survey prisms as checkpoints, and show surface change between surveys. They do not replace real-time radar on critical walls, but they record how the pit changes across months and support visual inspection of benches.
About the author
This guide was written by the Birdi team. Birdi (birdi.io) is a geospatial AI workspace that mining, quarry and construction teams use to share drone surveys, prism records and monitoring data in one map. We read the Geological Society of America account and checked every product fact on the vendor's own website or help center on October 7, 2026.
Related reading
- Tailings and wall monitoring software: the tools for each monitoring layer.
- Prism movement reports: warning levels, action levels and a defensible record.
- Prism survey control: keeping the prism network consistent.
- Birdi for mining: how mine teams use one shared site record.
Sources
Independent
- Geological Society of America. "Massive landslide at Utah copper mine generates wealth of geophysical data." GSA Today, January 2014. https://www.geosociety.org/gsa-today/january-2014/massive-landslide-at-utah-copper-mine-generates-wealth-of-geophysical-data
- European Space Agency and Copernicus. "Sentinel-1 mission." SentiWiki. https://sentiwiki.copernicus.eu/web/s1-mission
Vendor documentation (read October 7, 2026)
- Birdi Help Center. "How to set movement tolerances and run prism movement reports in Birdi." https://help.birdi.io/en/articles/16951320
- Birdi Help Center. "How to create a difference grid in Birdi." https://help.birdi.io/en/articles/16726906
- Birdi. "Pricing." https://www.birdi.io/pricing
- Orica. "GroundProbe slope stability radars." https://www.orica.com/en/digital-solutions/geosolutions/groundprobe/slope-stability-radars/groundprobe-ssr-sarx
- IDS GeoRadar. "ArcSAR Neo." https://idsgeoradar.com/products/interferometric-radar/ibis-arcsar
- Reutech Mining. https://www.reutechmining.com/
- Leica Geosystems. "Leica GeoMoS" and "Leica Nova TM60." https://leica-geosystems.com/products/total-stations/software/leica-geomos
- Trimble. "Trimble 4D Control." https://geospatial.trimble.com/en/products/software/trimble-4d-control
