Remote Sensing Methods in the Study of the Impact of Long-Term Process of Sulphur Mining on Environmental Changes of the Carpathian Foreland

The paper presents research on the extent of impact of sulphur mining process and post-mining activities upon properties of selected elements of the environment, as well as the assessment of the influence of indirect effects resulting from many years' process of exploitation of sulphur deposits in the areas of the Carpathian Foreland (south-east Poland). Within the scope of research conducted, the assessment of the extent of impact of results connected with actual sulphur mining and post-mining activities upon properties of selected elements of the environment, i.e. the state and condition of vegetation, forms of land coverage and the chemistry of soils, has been made. Moreover, an attempt has been made at developing an image data processing algorithm to automate the process of detecting environmental changes.