skytruth_grasberg_overview_2003_12x9_200dpi.tif
Whats In The Photo:Landsat satellite image from 2003 showing same area as 1988 overview image. Mining activity began in the area in 1970, reaching 20,000 tons per day by the 1980s. But discovery of the massive "Grasberg" ore body greatly accelerated the operation in 1989; by 1997 production had skyrocketed to 130,000 tons per day. Tailings dumped into the river upstream are settling out on a long stretch of floodplain downstream near the town of Timika, changing the hydrology of the Ajkwa river system and killing vegetation over a broad area (dark blue to purple swath). Levees have been constructed in an attempt to control flooding and contain the tailings. Deforestation has also occurred over a large area since 1988: intact lowland forests are dark green, and cleared areas are bright green.
Caption:Grasberg Tailings Overview - 2003
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Photographer Name:John Amos
Organization Name:SkyTruth
Credit For Photo:organization