Adding this more-recent mining to surface mines constructed prior to 1985, we calculate a cumulative mining footprint of 5,900 km 2. We find that 2,900 km 2 of land has been newly mined over this 31-year period. Here we use Google Earth Engine and Landsat imagery to map the yearly extent of surface coal mining in Central Appalachia from 1985 through 2015, making our processing models and output data publicly available.

This dataset, however, does not deliver the temporal resolution necessary to support research that could establish causal links between mining activity and environmental or public health and safety outcomes, nor has it been updated since 2005. Researchers have quantified the ecosystem and health impacts stemming from mining, relying in part on a geospatial dataset defining surface mining’s extent at a decadal interval. Surface mining for coal has taken place in the Central Appalachian region of the United States for well over a century, with a notable increase since the 1970s. Amos, Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Resources, Supervision 2 Bernhardt, Funding acquisition, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing, 1 and John F. Campagna, Methodology, 5 Yolandita Franklin, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, 2 Emily S. Clinton, Methodology, Resources, 4 David J. Ross, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Visualization, Writing – review & editing, 1 Nicholas E. Wasson, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft, 3 Matthew R. Kroodsma, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft, 2 Matthew F. Thomas, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Software, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, 2, * David A. Pericak, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Software, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, 1 Christian J.

Panning google earthview