Visual analysis in the identification of landing strips and their relation to mining areas in indigenous land and conservation units in the state of Mato Grosso

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5016/geografia.v51i1.18487

Abstract

The aim of this work was to identify and map the airstrips in the state of Mato Grosso, identifying those opened between 2016 and 2022, and relating them to the increase in mining and deforestation activities. The study covered areas of indigenous lands (IL), conservation units (CU) and their surroundings, using a visual interpretation of high-resolution PlanetScope images. The study period was the years 2016 and 2022. To identify and map non-approved landing strips, PlaneScope satellite images were used, with 4.77 meters of spatial resolution, obtained through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) database. From the visual interpretation of satellite images with high spatial resolution, a sharp increase in landing strips was identified. As a result, a total of 361 off-hand runways were found in 2016 and in 2022 there were 504 of these runways, therefore, an increase of 39.61%, compared to data from records from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). Only 35.31% of airstrips in 2022 are registered by ANAC, that is, approximately 65% of those identified in 2022 are not registered. Much of this increase was in areas bordering the ILs and CUs, being less than 10 km away from these protected territories.

Author Biographies

João Lucas Buzatto, Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Humanas, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil.

Mestrando em Geografia pela Universidade de Brasília (UnB) e bacharel em Geografia pela Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT). Possui experiência na área de Geociências, com ênfase em Geoprocessamento e Sensoriamento Remoto. Atua principalmente em pesquisas voltadas para a análise ambiental, monitoramento de mudanças no uso e cobertura do solo e impactos do garimpo em Terras Indígenas no bioma Amazônia.

Vagner Paz Mengue, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Departamento de Geografia, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil.

Professor do Departamento de Geografia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, na área de cartografia, geoprocessamento e sensoriamento remoto. Geógrafo com especialização em Georreferenciamento de imóveis rurais. Mestrado e Doutorado em Sensoriamento Remoto e Geoprocessamento pela UFRGS. Experiência na área de cartografia, geoprocessamento, mapeamentos com sensores orbitais e mudanças de uso do solo e cobertura vegetal baseado em séries temporais.

Fernando Comerlato Scottá, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Geociências, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

Pesquisador de Pós-Doutorado em Geociências no Programa de Gestão Ambiental Portuária - Porto de Porto Alegre (PGA-POA) da UFRGS e analista ambiental do Departamento de Recursos Hídricos e Saneamento da Secretaria do Ambiente e Infraestrutura do Rio Grande do Sul (SEMA-RS). ossui graduação em Geografia (Licenciatura e Bacharelado) pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), mestrado em Sensoriamento Remoto pela UFRGS (2013) e doutorado em Geociências pela UFRGS (2018).

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Published

2026-02-10

How to Cite

BUZATTO, João Lucas; MENGUE, Vagner Paz; SCOTTÁ, Fernando Comerlato. Visual analysis in the identification of landing strips and their relation to mining areas in indigenous land and conservation units in the state of Mato Grosso. GEOGRAFIA, [S. l.], v. 51, n. 1, p. e-18487, 2026. DOI: 10.5016/geografia.v51i1.18487. Disponível em: https://www.periodicos.rc.biblioteca.unesp.br/index.php/ageteo/article/view/18487. Acesso em: 19 feb. 2026.

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Vol. 51 No. 1 (2026)

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Article

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