Impact of Topography Accuracy and Resolution on the Results of Dam Breach Analysis Inundation Simulations

Dam breach analyses (DBA) are crucial for ensuring the safety and environmental protection of tailings storage facilities (TSF) by predicting potential inundation areas and informing emergency response plans. The topography of downstream areas is a primary input to DBA inundation simulations. This paper examines how the resolution and accuracy of topographic data impact the results of these simulations, demonstrating that lower-resolution data does not necessarily lead to more conservative outcomes, contrary to previous assumptions. Additionally, it highlights the ground features that become visible only with high- resolution input data, underscoring the advantages of using higher-resolution data in dam breach analyses.