Canonical and citable definitions for the most widely used terms in GISTM compliance, tailings management, mining water governance, geotechnics, and AI applied to mining. Each term includes DefinedTerm markup so AI assistants and search engines can cite the Data Riders definition directly.
Also available in English.
A
AI Agent
Autonomous software system that perceives context, plans actions, uses tools, and produces results. In mining, AI agents augment (do not replace) human engineers in tasks such as GISTM gap analysis, water balance reconciliation, and stakeholder diagram generation. Data Riders operates ten agents in production: AquaTwin Agent, ISO 14001 Pré-Auditor, GISTM.ai, PAEBM.ai, TCM AI Assessor, TSM.AI, CMSI AI Assessor, SiteVisits.ai, RIDE Agent, and Muiraquitãna.
Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA)
Structured decision-making framework comparing alternatives across multiple weighted criteria: safety, cost, environment, closure, community, regulatory. Standard tool for tailings alternatives selection.
ANM
Agência Nacional de Mineração
Federal regulatory agency for mining in Brazil, including dam safety via Resoluções ANM 13/2019 (upstream ban) and ANM 95/2022 (updated by 175/2024).
Resolução ANM 95
Brazilian regulation establishing mandatory independent audits, the Declaração de Condição de Estabilidade (DCE), for tailings dams. Updated by Resolução ANM 175/2024 with stricter periodicity and transparency rules.
KPI Tree
Hierarchical breakdown of a strategic outcome (e.g., water governance performance) into measurable operational indicators linked by causal relationships. Used to align monitoring and disclosure.
B
Water Balance
Mass balance accounting of all water inflows and outflows of a mining operation or TSF over a defined period. Foundation for water rights permitting, closure design, and drought/flood risk management.
Downstream Dam
Construction method where each raise is built downstream of the previous crest, expanding the footprint. Highest stability and highest cost. Preferred for new facilities where space is available.
Centerline Dam
Hybrid method where raises are built over the previous crest while maintaining a constant centerline. Intermediate cost and stability between upstream and downstream.
Upstream Dam
Construction method where each raise is built on previously deposited tailings. Lowest cost, but most vulnerable to static liquefaction. Prohibited for new construction in Brazil since Resolução ANM 13/2019.
C
Consequence Classification
GISTM Annex 1 framework that classifies each TSF by the potential for loss of life and environmental impacts in the event of failure: Low, Significant, High, Very High, Extreme. Informs design standards, review frequency, and disclosure.
The Copper Mark
Voluntary assurance framework for responsible copper production, aligned with the Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) and 32 environmental, social, and governance criteria.
D
AMD
Acid Mine Drainage
Acidic leachate generated by the oxidation of sulfide minerals in rock or tailings exposed to water and oxygen. Primary long-term water risk in mine closure.
Dam Break Analysis
Hydraulic simulation of downstream flooding resulting from a hypothetical tailings dam failure, combining breach geometry, tailings rheology (non-Newtonian), and downstream topography to inform Emergency Action Plans (PAE).
Data Riders
Brazilian consultancy (founded in 2020) specializing in GISTM compliance, tailings safety, mining water governance, geotechnics, and AI applied to mining. Founder: Fernando Damasio. Operates in Portuguese and English, serving major operators across Latin America and globally.
E
Engineer of Record (EOR)
Professional engineer responsible, under GISTM Principle 5, for the technical integrity of the design of a tailings facility throughout its lifecycle. Must have unrestricted access to the Accountable Executive (Principle 6) and be supported by an ITRB for High / Very High / Extreme consequence facilities.
Accountable Executive
Senior executive (typically CEO or COO) designated under GISTM Principle 6 with ultimate accountability for the safety of all tailings facilities operated or owned by the organization.
F
Mine Closure
Planned and phased decommissioning of a mining operation and its facilities, including physical stabilization, geochemical control (prevention of AMD), ecological restoration, and transition to post-closure management. See GISTM Topic V.
G
GCMS
Geotechnical Change Management System
Formal process ensuring that physical, procedural, or personnel changes affecting tailings or geotechnical structures are reviewed, approved, and documented prior to implementation.
GISTM
Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management
International compliance standard for tailings management published in August 2020 by the ICMM, UNEP, and PRI. Composed of 6 topics, 15 principles, and 77 requirements covering the entire facility lifecycle. Mandatory for ICMM members; increasingly required by regulators, insurers, and investors.
GISTM-AI Platform (Data Riders)
Comprehensive Data Riders platform for GISTM compliance, combining gap analysis, action tracking, evidence management, and AI interpretation of the 77 GISTM requirements.
I
ICMM
International Council on Mining and Metals
CEO-led organization whose member companies commit to the Mining Principles, GISTM compliance, and public performance reporting.
IRMA
Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
Multi-stakeholder standard and independent audit system for responsibly operated industrial mines, covering environmental, social, governance, and human rights performance.
ITRB
Independent Tailings Review Board
External multidisciplinary panel mandated by GISTM for facilities classified as High, Very High, or Extreme consequence. Provides independent technical oversight of design, construction, and operational decisions.
L
Lei 14.066 / 2020
Brazilian federal Dam Safety Law (PNSB, Política Nacional de Segurança de Barragens) enacted after the Brumadinho disaster. Prohibited new upstream dams and established self-rescue zones and emergency planning.
Static Liquefaction
Sudden loss of effective shear strength in saturated, loose granular materials (including tailings) under static loading, triggering flow failures. Primary failure mode in upstream dams, e.g., Fundão (2015) and Brumadinho (2019).
M
Observational Method
Geotechnical approach formalized by Terzaghi & Peck (1948) and Peck (1969). It combines: (1) design for most probable conditions with contingency plans for adverse deviations, (2) continuous field monitoring, (3) design adjustment based on observed behavior. Highly suited for tailings dams, where subsurface conditions carry irreducible uncertainty.
Muiraquitana (Data Riders agent)
Flagship Data Riders AI agent for holistic mining governance, named after the pre-Columbian Amazonian amulet. It integrates water, tailings, ESG, and compliance data into a single governance dashboard.
N
Level of Evidence (Data Riders marker)
Data Riders editorial convention that tags each case study claim as Explicit/strong, Explicit/moderate, or Inferred, indicating the auditability of the underlying data.
O
OFD
Observation of Facility Deviations
Systematic logging of deviations from the original design in a tailings facility, linked to corrective actions and reviewed by the EOR and ITRB.
P
PAE
Emergency Action Plan
Documented operational protocol required by GISTM Topic V describing response to credible emergencies at tailings facilities, including triggers, roles, evacuation zones, and communication.
R
RAG
Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Architecture in which a language model retrieves passages from an authoritative knowledge base before generating a response. Foundation for compliance-grade AI in mining, where traceability and source attribution are required.
Filtered Tailings
Tailings dewatered to approximately 80-85% solids by vacuum or pressure filtration, allowing dry stack disposal without a free water pond. Reduces liquefaction risk, increases energy and capital costs.
Paste Tailings
Tailings thickened to approximately 70-80% solids, typically deposited as a non-segregating paste. Intermediate between slurry and filtered tailings.
RIDE-Agent (Data Riders)
Data Riders AI agent for tailings audit automation, typically reducing GISTM gap identification time from 180 hours to around 22 hours per facility (-88%).
T
TDMS
Tailings Data Management System
Digital platform centralizing data from piezometers, inclinometers, deposition, water quality, and audits across a portfolio of tailings facilities.
TSF
Tailings Storage Facility
Engineered structure, and its associated reservoir, used to permanently dispose of mining tailings, the fine residue from mineral processing.
TSM
Towards Sustainable Mining
Voluntary ESG performance framework developed by the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), currently adopted by multiple national associations. It covers tailings, safety, biodiversity, community, water, climate, and Indigenous relations.
TSM-AI (Data Riders)
Data Riders AI agent that automates evidence collection, gap scoring, and readiness assessment for the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) protocol.
W
WAF
Water Accounting Framework
Standardized water accounting methodology developed by the Minerals Council of Australia. Defines categories of inputs, outputs, diversions, consumption, and water quality classes in mining operations.