skytruth_grasberg_fullres_2003_12x9_200dpi.tif
Whats In The Photo:Detail from Landsat satellite image taken in 2003, showing the same area as detail image from 1988. The Ajkwa River floodplain (dark blue - purple, indicating barren rock and mud) has expanded due to the deposition of tailings dumped into the river system from the Grasberg mine. The area impacted by tailings deposition covers about 50 square miles (33,000 acres). The town of Timika has also expanded; the network of roads appears as a fine gridwork of purple lines, and the cleared area (bright green) now covers a large area that was intact forest (dark green) in 1988. Note the levees that bound the greatly expanded floodplain; new roads etched sharply into the forest, especially on the east (right) side of the floodplain; and the new community at top center, built especially for mine workers, that includes an 18-hole golf course (the fairways are bright yellow).
Caption:Grasberg Tailings Detail - 2003
Photographer Name:John Amos
Organization Name:SkyTruth
Credit For Photo:organization