Figure 2a. Time series, area-averaged of dust column mass
density–PM 2.5 monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] kg m
−2 for January 1990 to April
2020, Region 1.9899W, 0N, 0E, 5.3212N.
Figure 2b. Image from Tarkwa Goldfields in Ghana from
Image@2020CNES/Airbus.
Figure 3a. Time series, area-averaged of dust column mass
density–PM 2.5 monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] kg m
−2 for January 2005 to April
2020, Region 0E, 0.03175S, 35.0237E, 0N.
Figure 3b. Image from Karebe Gold mine in Kenya from
Image@2020CNES/Airbus.
Figure 4. Seasonal area-averaged of dust column mass
density–monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAE PM 2.5 R v5.12.4] kg m
− 2 for January 1998 to
April 2020, Region 0E, 3.2287S, 32.4837E, 0N (Bulyanhulu
Gold Mine, Tanzania).
Figure 5 represents the seasonal Area-Averaged of
Dust Column Mass Density–PM 2.5 [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] for January 1998 to April
2020 of the Obuasi gold mine in Ghana. This mine
was established in 1879 and it was formerly operated
by AngloGold Ashanti in 2008. Satellite data was not
available for the time the mine was found therefore a
seasonal area-averaged of dust column Mass Density–
PM 2.5 was obtained from 1999 to 2020. This covers
the duration within which AngloGold commenced its
operations. The pollution level from Figure 5 shows
that the mine obtained a higher pollution level in 2008
when AngloGold began its operation and 2016 with
an area-averaged of 0.0003521 kg m
−2 and a lower
rate of 0.0000050603 kg m
−2 .This gives a difference
of 0.00034704 kg m
−2 from 1999 to 2008 which is a
very large increase in the pollution level of the area.
Kilimapesa Gold mine, situated in Migori Archean
Greenstone belt in southwest Kenya, commenced production on January 2009. Figure 6 represents the seasonal Area-Averaged of Dust Column Mass Density–
PM 2.5 [MERRA-2 Model M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] for
47
density–PM 2.5 monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] kg m
−2 for January 1990 to April
2020, Region 1.9899W, 0N, 0E, 5.3212N.
Figure 2b. Image from Tarkwa Goldfields in Ghana from
Image@2020CNES/Airbus.
Figure 3a. Time series, area-averaged of dust column mass
density–PM 2.5 monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] kg m
−2 for January 2005 to April
2020, Region 0E, 0.03175S, 35.0237E, 0N.
Figure 3b. Image from Karebe Gold mine in Kenya from
Image@2020CNES/Airbus.
Figure 4. Seasonal area-averaged of dust column mass
density–monthly 0.5 × 0.625 deg. [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAE PM 2.5 R v5.12.4] kg m
− 2 for January 1998 to
April 2020, Region 0E, 3.2287S, 32.4837E, 0N (Bulyanhulu
Gold Mine, Tanzania).
Figure 5 represents the seasonal Area-Averaged of
Dust Column Mass Density–PM 2.5 [MERRA-2 Model
M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] for January 1998 to April
2020 of the Obuasi gold mine in Ghana. This mine
was established in 1879 and it was formerly operated
by AngloGold Ashanti in 2008. Satellite data was not
available for the time the mine was found therefore a
seasonal area-averaged of dust column Mass Density–
PM 2.5 was obtained from 1999 to 2020. This covers
the duration within which AngloGold commenced its
operations. The pollution level from Figure 5 shows
that the mine obtained a higher pollution level in 2008
when AngloGold began its operation and 2016 with
an area-averaged of 0.0003521 kg m
−2 and a lower
rate of 0.0000050603 kg m
−2 .This gives a difference
of 0.00034704 kg m
−2 from 1999 to 2008 which is a
very large increase in the pollution level of the area.
Kilimapesa Gold mine, situated in Migori Archean
Greenstone belt in southwest Kenya, commenced production on January 2009. Figure 6 represents the seasonal Area-Averaged of Dust Column Mass Density–
PM 2.5 [MERRA-2 Model M2TMNXAER v5.12.4] for
47