A global-scale spatial assessment and geodatabase of mine areas
Liang Tang, Tim T. Werner, Xie Heping, Yang Jingsong, Shi Zeming
Abstract
Despite massive growth in mining activity worldwide, efforts to assess the land use of mining at a global scale have been limited. Increasing satellite image quality and accessibility now permit detailed assessments of mine areas and their emerging geographical patterns. In this study, we produce a global-scale geospatial dataset of mine areas, comprised of 24,605 mine area polygons, mapped with high spatial precision in satellite imagery across 117 countries. Our dataset adds comprehensive detail on the global distribution, areal extent, and spatial form of mine areas, as well as new understandings of potential risks to surrounding areas. Our results reveal a total occupied land area of ~31,396.3 km2, averaging 1.3 km2 per site. To illustrate potential insights enabled by our datasets, we performed detailed assessments of the geographical distribution of global mine areas in terms of their spatial density, elevations, and areas relative to rivers basins, climate zones, and human development factors. Our study promotes increasing access to high-quality spatial data to facilitate more systematic global management of mine wastes, pollution and mine land management.