Spectral diversity allows remote detection of the rehabilitation status in an Amazonian iron mining complex

•A remote sensing approach to monitor minelands undergoing rehabilitation was developed.•Mineland quality is linked to spectral diversity derived from free Sentinel-2 images.•Spectral diversity enables remote monitoring of successional advances in rehabilitating sites.•Net gains in the amount and quality of rehabilitation in a mining complex were detected.•Open-access multispectral satellite images make rehabilitation activities transparent.