Assessing the use of high resolution satellite imagery to inventory abandoned mine land features in Virginia

Abstract

The State of Virginia (VA) Division of Mined Land Reclamation (DMLR) and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) used high resolution satellite imagery along with other Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to assist in the inventory of abandoned mine land (AML) sites and identification of re-mined areas in southwestern VA. Inventory of AML sites was conducted through feature extraction of QuickBird-2 satellite imagery to identify new AML sites and more precisely locate existing AML sites. The AML features identified as priority for mapping by VA DMLR were dangerous highwalls, apple cores, gob piles, clogged streams, clogged stream lands, portals, subsidence, acid mine drainage, hazardous equipment and facilities, spoil piles containing high coal content for re-mining consideration, and re-mined areas. The initial results of the image feature extraction included locating acid mine drainage areas, determining linear feet of dangerous highwalls, location of gob piles and spoil piles containing high coal content and areas identified for re-mining consideration, clogged streams and clogged stream lands required acquisition of summer imagery to conduct feature extraction. Additional field data collection is planned to classify portals and subsidence features as well as complete an accuracy assessment of the final classification.