Visual impact produced by mining activity in the Punta Gorda ore body, Moa

Abstract

Open-pit mining has adverse impacts on the landscape of the mining area. This article describes the visual impact resulting from surface mining activities being conducted in the Punta Gorda laterite ore body located in Moa. The implementation of the indirect method Bureau of Land Management by means of computer tools, such as Surfer 8.0, Didger 3.02, Gemcom 4.11, Autocad Civil 3d allowed the determination of visual landscape units and the main visual basins according to the method of selection used. This investigation also includes an analysis on the visual basin soil, color, texture and luminosity. Observation locations were selected based on their topographical characteristics or because of their being located in the highest altitudes. It was concluded that the visual impact of mining activities on the landscape investigated covers more than 50% of the visual basin. This research paves the way to a new field in the visual impact assessment of open-pit mining in Cuba. It constitutes a practical contribution providing information of interest on landscapes for the decision making associated with ore body management and planning and it stands out for being useful to ensure a successful mining and environmental planning of a region