TITLE:
Assessing landform alterations induced by mountaintop mining
AUTHORS:
Aaron E. Maxwell, Michael P. Strager
KEYWORDS:
Mountaintop Mining, Landforms, Change Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Science,
Vol.5 No.2A,
February
27,
2013
ABSTRACT: A comprehensive
impact analysis of mountaintop removal and valley fill (MTR/VF) mining requires
an understanding of landform alterations since ecological impacts are so
intricately linked. In this study we investigated mining in the Coal River
Watershed, West Virginia, USA, using landform terrain analysis. Previous studies
have relied on elevation differencing of pre- and post-mining surfaces to
assess absolute elevation and volumetric change. Our landscape analysis,
utilizing light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived elevation data, indicated
specific landform types and distributions that were significantly altered after
MTR/VF mining and reclamation. The use of categorical landform data provides
insights to assessing and understanding the extent of topographically altered
mountaintops. Our study provides an opportunity to further examine the impact
of MTR/VF on forest communities, terrestrial habitat, ecosystem health, and
biodiversity.