NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Changes in the Extent of Surface Mining and Reclamation in the Central Appalachians Detected Using a 1976-2006 Landsat Time SeriesSurface mining and reclamation is the dominant driver of land cover land use change (LCLUC) in the Central Appalachian Mountain region of the Eastern U.S. Accurate quantification of the extent of mining activities is important for assessing how this LCLUC affects ecosystem services such as aesthetics, biodiversity, and mitigation of flooding.We used Landsat imagery from 1976, 1987, 1999 and 2006 to map the extent of surface mines and mine reclamation for eight large watersheds in the Central Appalachian region of West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. We employed standard image processing techniques in conjunction with a temporal decision tree and GIS maps of mine permits and wetlands to map active and reclaimed mines and track changes through time. For the entire study area, active surface mine extent was highest in 1976, prior to implementation of the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, with 1.76% of the study area in active mines, declining to 0.44% in 2006. The most extensively mined watershed, Georges Creek in Maryland, was 5.45% active mines in 1976, declining to 1.83% in 2006. For the entire study area, the area of reclaimed mines increased from 1.35% to 4.99% from 1976 to 2006, and from 4.71% to 15.42% in Georges Creek. Land cover conversion to mines and then reclaimed mines after 1976 was almost exclusively from forest. Accuracy levels for mined and reclaimed cover was above 85% for all time periods, and was generally above 80% for mapping active and reclaimed mines separately, especially for the later time periods in which good accuracy assessment data were available. Among other implications, the mapped patterns of LCLUC are likely to significantly affect watershed hydrology, as mined and reclaimed areas have lower infiltration capacity and thus more rapid runoff than unmined forest watersheds, leading to greater potential for extreme flooding during heavy rainfall events.
Document ID
20110011581
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Townsend, Philip A.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
Helmers, David P.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
Kingdon, Clayton C.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
McNeil, Brenden E.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
de Beurs, Kirsten M.
(Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. Blacksburg, VA, United States)
Eshleman, Keith N.
(Maryland Univ. Frostburg, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2009
Publication Information
Publication: Remote Sensing of Environment
Volume: 113
Issue: 1
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06GC83G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available