Determination of Open Pit Mining Zones Through Digital Processing of Multi-Spectral Images and PPI Method - A Case Study of Southern Ecuador

In the current study, the identification of open pit mining areas has been conducted using multispectral satellite images of medium (Landsat 8)and high (Sentinel 2B)spatial resolution of the province of Zamora Chinchipe in southern Ecuador. Such research involved several digital processes such as atmospheric correction, image fusion through the Brovey algorithm, noise elimination among others. We worked simultaneously with spatial and spectral patterns through the application of algorithms in order to increase spatial resolution., and spectral indices that enhance variables of interest. In addition, the Pixel Purity Index (PPI)methodology has been applied in order to obtain the classes involved in the study area based on the pure pixels and the results were compared between the two methodologies. The zones considered open-pit mining have been obtained in both cases.