Assessing the Relationship Between Production and Land Transformation for Chilean Copper Mines Using Satellite and Operational Data

Mining may cause devastating environmental impacts through large-scale land transformations. However, mining-induced land transformations are poorly understood relative to a mine’s productivity or life cycle. We integrated satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GISs), and mine site production data (ore, concentration, and waste) to conduct a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of 15 open-pit copper mines in Chile, distinguishing six types of features. Although the occupied area (9.90 to 149.61 km${}^2$ in 2020) and composition vary across mines, facilities for waste storage occupy the largest proportion (>50%) of the transformed land area, emphasizing the need for proper waste management. The analysis of land transformation factors (the transformed land area per unit production) showed high variation (0.006178 to 0.372798 m${}^2$/kg-Cu) between mines over time. This reveals a significant problem in the historical practice of using averages from life cycle assessment (LCA) databases. This research reveals the significance of geospatial analyses in assessing mining-induced land transformation, and it provides geospatial data for land-related LCA. Mining companies are encouraged to disclose GIS information regarding land transformation to foster transparency and social responsibility, as well as to promote responsible and sustainable mining.