Spatiotemporal Interactions between Surface Coal Mining and Land Cover and Use Changes

Abstract

Long-term surface mining and land cover and use changes have been evidenced to have a critical relationship. This study conducts trend and correlation analysis by statistical tools to quantitatively evaluate this relationship in the Ptolemais (Northern Greece) coal mining area for the period 1990-2018. Firstly, based on Corine data and satellite images, a relative spatial indicator (RSI) was adopted to describe the mineral land areas. Secondly, land cover and use changes were spatially defined using Corine data and ArcGIS tools. The active mining area was then distinguished by dumping area, using Landsat satellite imagery and mining maps, and finally, mine operation parameters were statistically analyzed. The study revealed that “mineral extraction sites” present a strong correlation with “non irrigated arable land” and “transitional woodland”. The results have shown that between 1990 and 2018 the total forest area was increased by three times, mainly as a result of the dumping sites geometry. Additionally, the mine operation parameters are well correlated with the active mining area.

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