Remote sensing and mountaintop mining

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Abstract
Coal mining in Appalachia has undergone dramatic changes in the 1990s. Large‐scale surface mining practices known as mountaintop mining (MTM) and valley fills (VF) are at the center of an environmental and legal controversy that has spawned lawsuits and major environmental investigations. Current MTM/VF operations are a major source of low‐sulfur, less‐air‐polluting coal, which is desired for much of the energy production in the United States. MTM/VF techniques extract multiple coal seams by removing entire tops of mountains through the use of explosives and massive earth‐moving equipment. Overburden rock debris is inevitably deposited in nearby valleys that are often ephemeral headwater streams. These mining practices have drawn criticism from residents and the environmental community, but are supported by unions and the mining industry. Although MTM/VF techniques will continue to be debated from legal and environmental perspectives, one fact is clear to both sides; the long‐term ecological effects are unknown and this is an area of needed scientific inquiry. Remote sensing technology, used in concert with other sources of scientific data, will likely be an important source of information to help address this issue. Although little or no remote sensing research has directly addressed MTM, there has been decades of remote sensing application directed at surface mining in general. This paper reviews published results of remote sensing research with respect to surface mining and the application of these techniques to the study of the effects of the MTM and VF phenomenon.