Escondida copper mine,
Chile

Situated in the Atacama Desert, at 3100 meters elevation, Escondida is the largest copper mine in the world.
In 2022 a $8.2m fine was imposed by the Chilean government on its operators for their gross exceedence of water extraction permissions over many years, causing ‘irreparable environmental damage’ to surrounding regions, including the destruction of wetland and vegetation.

Approx area depicted: 435 km2
Date of image: 2021