Use of NASA’s AVIRIS-NG imagery for environmental mapping at the Rio Tinto mining district, southwestern Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29150/jhrs.v12.4.p154-165Keywords:
Hyperspectral, mine waste, sulfidesAbstract
Airborne hyperspectral imagery recorded by the NASA’s Next Generation Advanced Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-NG) was analyzed for environmental mapping of the Rio Tinto mining district in southwestern Spain. The Rio Tinto mining district contains a giant world-class polymetallic sulfide deposit that has been mined from the antiquity to the modern times. The mining and ore processing activities have created large areas covered by sulfide-bearing mine waste, tailings, flooded open pits, slags, galleries and other mining facilities. The sulfide-bearing mine waste generates acid mine drainage (AMD) that contaminates the fluvial network. The Rio Tinto River is one of most AMD contaminated rivers in the world. Many secondary minerals associated with sulfide-bearing mine waste have diagnostic reflectance spectra due to absorptions of ferric and ferrous iron, water and hydroxyl. The mapping of the surface distribution of these secondary minerals is useful for environmental studies. The AVIRIS-NG radiance data were converted to surface reflectance using the Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Hypercubes model. The AVIRIS-NG imagery was analyzed using the spectral mixture analysis. The AVIRIS-NG accurately mapped acid water, jarosite, goethite, hematite, melanterite, rozenite, copiapite, gypsum, undifferentiated metal sulfate hydrates, sericite and kaolinite. Acid waters occur in the tailings ponds, in the Rio Tinto River, and in various other locations within the study area. Jarosite, goethite and hematite are the predominant secondary iron minerals in the areas covered by sulfide-bearing mine waste. These secondary iron minerals are indicators of acid mine drainage generation. In few locations were distinguished from the AVIRIS-NG data the mineral melanterite and its dehydration product rozenite. The study gives new information on the surface distribution of environmentally important secondary iron minerals in the Rio Tinto mining district in southwestern Spain. The mapping results produced by the analysis of the AVIRIS-NG data can be useful to the environmental studies concerned with the pollution from acid mine drainage of the fluvial network of the area.
Uso de imagens AVIRIS-NG da NASA para mapeamento ambiental no distrito de mineração de Rio Tinto, sudoeste da Espanha
Resumo
As imagens hiperespectrais aerotransportadas registradas pelo espectrômetro avançado de imagens visíveis/infravermelhas da NASA (AVIRIS-NG) foram analisadas para o mapeamento ambiental do distrito de mineração de Rio Tinto, no sudoeste da Espanha. O distrito de mineração de Rio Tinto contém um gigantesco depósito de sulfeto polimetálico de classe mundial que foi extraído desde a antiguidade até os tempos modernos. As atividades de mineração e processamento de minério criaram grandes áreas cobertas por resíduos de mineração contendo sulfeto, rejeitos, minas a céu aberto inundadas, escórias, galerias e outras instalações de mineração. Os rejeitos de mineração contendo sulfetos geram drenagem ácida de mina (DAM) que contamina a rede fluvial. O rio Rio Tinto é um dos rios mais contaminados pela AMD no mundo. Muitos minerais secundários associados com rejeitos de mina contendo sulfetos têm espectros de refletância diagnósticos devido a absorções de ferro férrico e ferroso, água e hidroxila. O mapeamento da distribuição superficial desses minerais secundários é útil para estudos ambientais. Os dados de radiância do AVIRIS-NG foram convertidos em refletância de superfície usando o modelo de Análise Atmosférica de Linha de Visão Rápida de Hipercubos. As imagens do AVIRIS-NG foram analisadas usando a análise de mistura espectral. O AVIRIS-NG mapeou com precisão água ácida, jarosita, goethita, hematita, melanterita, rozenita, copiapita, gesso, hidratos de sulfato de metal indiferenciado, sericita e caulinita. Águas ácidas ocorrem nas lagoas de rejeitos, no rio Rio Tinto e em vários outros locais dentro da área de estudo. Jarosita, goetita e hematita são os minerais de ferro secundários predominantes nas áreas cobertas por rejeitos de mineração contendo sulfetos. Esses minerais de ferro secundários são indicadores de geração de drenagem ácida de mina. Em poucos locais foram distinguidos dos dados do AVIRIS-NG o mineral melanterita e seu produto de desidratação rozenita. O estudo fornece novas informações sobre a distribuição superficial de minerais de ferro secundário de importância ambiental no distrito de mineração de Rio Tinto, no sudoeste da Espanha. Os resultados do mapeamento produzidos pela análise dos dados do AVIRIS-NG podem ser úteis para os estudos ambientais relacionados com a poluição por drenagem ácida de mina da rede fluvial da área
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