Earth Surface Dynamics
Earth Surface Dynamics
ESurf
Articles | Volume 9, issue 5
Articles | Volume 9, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1323-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1323-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 9, issue 5
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
30 Sep 2021
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 30 Sep 2021

Sand mining far outpaces natural supply in a large alluvial river

Christopher R. Hackney, Grigorios Vasilopoulos, Sokchhay Heng, Vasudha Darbari, Samuel Walker, and Daniel R. Parsons

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Short summary
Unsustainable sand mining poses a threat to the stability of river channels. We use satellite imagery to estimate volumes of material removed from the Mekong River, Cambodia, over the period 2016–2020. We demonstrate that current rates of extraction now exceed previous estimates for the entire Mekong Basin and significantly exceed the volume of sand naturally transported by the river. Our work highlights the importance of satellite imagery in monitoring sand mining activity over large areas.
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