Measuring Land Cover Changes Caused by Surface Mining Expansion Using Lands at Data at Camaquã Mines, Brazil

Matheus M. Pimenta1, Fernando A. C. Cardozo1, Rafael R. Ribeiro2, and André C. Zingano1

1. Departmentof Mining Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

2.DepartmentofGeodesy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Abstract: The multi-temporal image analysis is one of the most convenient and useful ways to determine how specific attributes of a particular area have changed between two or more regular intervals, comparing aerial photographs or satellite images of the study area taken at different times. This study examined the impact of the expansion of degraded areas through the mineral production and subsequent changes in natural vegetation after leaving the area over a period of 26 years in a region affected by copper mining over a century generating environmental, social and economic impacts atCamaquã Mines, southern Brazil, using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques. A series of Landsat images were classified by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to produce three land cover maps of the region. From comparisons between these maps and areas with no vegetation cover, it was possible to quantify the variation that occurs in the landscape, identifying the evolution of changes in natural vegetation area. It has been observed that between 1985 and 1996 the degraded area has increased 8%, however, in 2011 (the last year analyzed), there was greater vegetation cover than in the first reporting period, resulting in vegetation recovery of 26% when compared to 1985.

Key words: remote sensing, GIS, mining, land cover, NDVI