File:Diavik mine satfoto 2013.jpg

English: Diavik Diamond Mine, which opened in 2003. The operation employs 700 people, produces about 1,500 kilograms of diamonds each year, and grosses $100 million (Canadian) in annual sales. The nearby Ekati Diamond Mine opened in 1998 and has a similar annual production to Diavik. Download the large images to see Ekati.

The images at the top of this page were captured by the Landsat 5 satellite on July 3, 1998 (top), and by Landsat 8 on July 5, 2013. They show an area centered around 64.50° North and 110.27° West. (Turn on the image-comparison tool to see the fine details of development.) The mine was started as an open pit, so great changes occurred in the past 15 years. However, future changes are not likely to be as visible at the surface because the operators of Diavik have transitioned most production underground.

Diavik Diamond Mine is essentially an industrial complex and town in one, all set in a remote, sub-Arctic landscape. In the 2013 image, you can see two main open pits, waste rock piles, and an airstrip capable of landing aircraft as large as 737s and C-130s. The complex also houses processing plants, fuel tanks, water and sewage processing facilities, administrative buildings, and accommodations for workers and other residents.