Assessing the Relationship Between Production and Land Transformation for Chilean Copper Mines Using Satellite and Operational Data
Mining may cause devastating environmental impacts through large-scale land transformations. However, mining-induced land transformations are poorly understood relative to a mine’s productivity or life cycle. We integrated satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GISs), and mine site produ...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Resources |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/2/25 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Mining may cause devastating environmental impacts through large-scale land transformations. However, mining-induced land transformations are poorly understood relative to a mine’s productivity or life cycle. We integrated satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GISs), and mine site production data (ore, concentration, and waste) to conduct a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of 15 open-pit copper mines in Chile, distinguishing six types of features. Although the occupied area (9.90 to 149.61 km<sup>2</sup> in 2020) and composition vary across mines, facilities for waste storage occupy the largest proportion (>50%) of the transformed land area, emphasizing the need for proper waste management. The analysis of land transformation factors (the transformed land area per unit production) showed high variation (0.006178 to 0.372798 m<sup>2</sup>/kg-Cu) between mines over time. This reveals a significant problem in the historical practice of using averages from life cycle assessment (LCA) databases. This research reveals the significance of geospatial analyses in assessing mining-induced land transformation, and it provides geospatial data for land-related LCA. Mining companies are encouraged to disclose GIS information regarding land transformation to foster transparency and social responsibility, as well as to promote responsible and sustainable mining. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2079-9276 |