Mountain Top Removal Identification and Change Detection Using Remote Sensing Techniques

Ryan Langford, The Project for Appalachian Community and Environment, Geography Department, Appalachian State University, ryanlangford4@hotmail.com

Eric Woolridge, The Project for Appalachian Community and Environment, Geography Department, Appalachian State University eric@the-pace.org

Jamie Robertson, The Project for Appalachian Community and Environment, Geography Department, Appalachian State University, superjamie2000@yahoo.com

While Mountain Top Removal (MTR) coal mining has become a common method of extracting coal, this method often causes extreme hardship upon the land resulting in the earth filling of valleys and streams, soil erosion, air, noise, and water pollution, and the destruction of home foundations caused by explosives. In an effort to better understand the effects of this industry, a remote sensing change detection study was conducted identifying landscape changes caused by MTR between 1987 and 2002. MTR is affecting communities within four states: West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. While the entire extent of MTR exist over four satellite scenes, this study analyzes only one scene (path 18, row 34), where MTR is most prevalent. Analysis was conducted using a LANDSAT 5 TM image from 1987, a LANDSAT 5 TM image from 1997, and a LANDSAT 7 ETM image from 2002.