Remote Sensing Inventory and Geospatial Analysis of Brick Kilns and Clay Quarrying in Kabul, Afghanistan

Abstract

Reconstruction and urban development in Kabul, Afghanistan, has prompted vast expansion of the clay quarrying and brick making industry. This study identified the extent and distribution of clay quarrying and brick kilns in the greater Kabul area between 1965 and 2018. Very high-resolution satellite imagery was interpreted to quantify and characterize the type, number, and location of brick kilns for 1965, 2004, 2011, and 2018. Geospatial analysis of kilns together with geologic data and the results of hyperspectral image analysis yielded information regarding the extent of relevant mineral resources. Finally, kernel density analysis of kiln locations for each date called attention to their shifting spatial distribution. The study found that the clay quarrying and brick making industry has expanded exponentially. The type of kilns has transitioned from artisanal style clamp kilns to small-scale Bull’s Trench Kilns (BTK), and ultimately to Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kilns (FCBTK). While quarrying has occurred entirely within quaternary windblown loess and clay deposits, artisanal clamp kilns were located in fine sediments containing montmorillonite and FCBTKs have developed in sediments containing calcite and muscovite. The study’s inventory of kilns was then used to estimate kiln workforce at 27,500 workers and production at 1.579 billion bricks per year.

Fabrication of Adsorbed Fe(III) and Structurally Doped Fe(III) in Montmorillonite/TiO2 Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol

“…Moreover, the significantly reduced fine particle sizes can improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 [11][12][13]. Mt is a 2:1 clay mineral, with a layered structure and exchangeable interlayer cations [14][15][16], which is sufficiently distributed in nature [16,17]. Consequently, Mt has excellent adsorption abilities, especially for positively charged substances with large relative surface areas.…”

Editorial for Special Issue “Exploring Mining Landscapes: Reconciling Past and Present of Mining Activity”

“…DeWitt et al [8] provides an inventory of Afghanistan's brick kiln and clay quarrying using remote sensing tools. They used field work and geospatial analysis in combination with existing geologic information and hyperspectral image analysis from high-resolution satellite imagery to show the location of these resources.…”