Landscape alteration effects of quarrying operation and its reclamation prospect using drone

Abstract

Surface mining involving quarrying of rocks often causes significant landscape alteration, culminating in a range of environmental effects from aesthetics to ecosystem disturbances if not properly managed. This study focused on the assessment of the geo-spatial changes in landscape of a marble deposit occasioned by quarrying in Ikpesi, Akoko-Edo, Edo State, Nigeria with the aim of future reclamation. Aerial mapping of the quarry and its contiguous vegetated land was carried out using an unmanned vehicle (UAV) DJI Phantom 4 drone. Images captured were uploaded to the cloud and processed by DroneDeploy software to generate the digital surface models-orthomosaics of the quarry and its adjoining land as well as the elevation Heatmaps, the pits cut/fill of the quarry and the Plant health map. The results show that a significant landmass of the quarry has been affected due to excavation of materials. The total area of land worked by the Quarry was (40,400 m2 ), the total cut (106,469.6 m3 ) and fill of (124,708.5 m3 ) with a net fill volume of (-18,238.84 m3 ). In order to avoid material deficit for reclamation in the long run, critical planning for "quarry waste materials" management is needed to ensure ultimate reclamation to an acceptable topographical level.