MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT: SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING IN ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LARGE-SCALE SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS

This book examines the capability of advanced remote sensing as a technique for investigating the cumulative impacts of large-scale open pit mining and processing operations. Long-term satellite measurements at medium (1km) and fine (30m) spatial resolutions are employed for assessing land cover and land use change resulting from mining development. Particular emphasis is placed on extracting information from remote sensing measurements needed for an effective assessment approach. The developed methods were used for investigating the environmental impact of oil sand mining located north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, in the Athabasca Oil Sands region.The book contributs to the: 1) advance satellite data radiometric and geometric corrections, 2) methods for extracting geophysical parameters required for environmental monitoring and forecasting, and 3) use of remote sensing in assessing surface mining impacts on vegetation.