Characterizing Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Mining Quarry Area and its Relationship between PM2.5 Concentration

Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, the Chinese economy and real estate industry have experienced tremendous growth over the past decades. The demand for mineral resources has reached unprecedented levels and scope. However, mining activities may cause severe ecological degradation and environmental pollution. In this paper, we analyzed the dynamics of quarries in Luoyuan County southeast China from 2000 to 2022, with the specific goal of understanding the dust pollution from mining activities. Our study revealed that there is a strong correlation between mining intensity and air pollution at the inter-annual level. Moreover, while mining activities have severely polluted the surrounding areas, the environment is gradually improving with the advancement of mine reclamation efforts.