Mapping hydrothermal and supergene alteration zones associated with carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits by using PRISMA satellite imagery supported by field-based hyperspectral data, mineralogical and geochemical analysis

Delineating hydrothermal alteration and supergene caps is fundamental for mineral exploration of sulfide ores. The aim of this study is to apply a multi-scale workflow based on hyperspectral remote and proximal sensing data in order to delineate hydrothermal dolomitization and supergene alteration associated with the Mississippi Valley-Type Zn-Pb(-Ag) deposit of Jabali (Western Yemen). The area was investigated through hyperspectral images derived from the new launched Italian Space Agency's PRISMA satellite, which has a higher spectral resolution compared to multispectral sensors and covers the mineral-diagnostic wavelength regions (such as the 2100 nm to 2300 nm range) with a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) ≥ 100. Spectral mineral maps were produced through the band ratios method using specific feature extraction indices applied to the hyperspectral satellite data. The results were validated by using Visible Near InfraRed (VNIR) to Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) reflectance spectra, mineralogical (XRPD) and geochemical (ICP-ES/MS) analyses on rock samples collected in the Jabali area. The dolomites footprint was mapped using a PRISMA Level 2C image, by enhancing the spectral differences between limestones and dolomites in the SWIR-2 region (major features centered at 2340 nm and 2320 nm, respectively). Gossans were detected due to the Fe3+ absorption band in the VNIR region at 900 nm. The Zn-Pb mineralized area, extended for approximately 25 km2, was thus identified by recognizing gossan occurrences in dolomites. The study demonstrates that the PRISMA satellite is effective in identifying Zn-Pb mineralized outcrops in sedimentary basins

Integrating visible, near infrared and short wave infrared hyperspectral and multispectral thermal imagery for geological mapping at Cuprite, Nevada

Visible, near infrared (VNIR), and short wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral and thermal infrared (TIR) multispectral remote sensing have become potential tool for geological mapping. In this dissertation, a series of studies were carried out to investigate the potential impact of combining VNIR/SWIR hyperspectral and TIR multispectral data for surface geological mapping. First, a series of simulated data sets based on the characteristics of hyperspectral AVIRIS and multispectral TIR MASTER sensors was created from surface reflectance and emissivity library spectra. Five common used classification methods including minimum distance, maximum likelihood, spectral angle mapper (SAM), spectral feature fitting (SFF), and binary encoding were applied to these simulated data sets to test the hypothesis. It was found that most methods applied to the combined data actually obtained improvement in overall accuracy of classification by comparison of the results to the simulated AVIRIS data or TIR MASTER alone. And some minerals and rocks with strong spectral features got a marked increase in classification accuracy. Second, two real data sets such as AVIRIS and MASTER of Cuprite, Nevada were used. Four classification methods were each applied to AVIRIS, MASTER, and a combined set. The results of these classifications confirmed most findings from the simulated data analyses. Most silicate bearing rocks achieved great improvement in classification accuracy with the combined data. SFF applied to the combination of AVIRIS with MASTER TIR data are especially valuable for identification of silicified alteration and quartzite sandstone which exhibit strong distinctive absorption features in the TIR region. SAM showed some advantages over SFF in dealing with multiple broad band TIR data, obtaining higher accuracy in discriminating low albedo volcanic rocks and limestone which do not have strong characteristic absorption features in the TIR region. One of the main objectives of these studies is to develop an automated classification algorithm which is effective for the analysis of VNIR/SWIR hyperspectral and TIR multispectral data. A rule based system was constructed to draw the strengths of disparate wavelength regions and different algorithms for geological mapping

Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data for Mineral Exploration and Environmental Monitoring of Mined Areas

In recent decades, remote sensing technology has been incorporated in numerous mineral exploration projects in metallogenic provinces around the world. Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors play a significant role in affording unique data for mineral exploration and environmental hazard monitoring. This book covers the advances of remote sensing data processing algorithms in mineral exploration, and the technology can be used in monitoring and decision-making in relation to environmental mining hazard. This book presents state-of-the-art approaches on recent remote sensing and GIS-based mineral prospectivity modeling, offering excellent information to professional earth scientists, researchers, mineral exploration communities and mining companies

AEOLIAN SYSTEM DYNAMICS DERIVED FROM THERMAL INFRARED DATA

Thermal infrared (TIR) remote-sensing and field-based observations were used to study aeolian systems, specifically sand transport pathways, dust emission sources and Saharan atmospheric dust. A method was developed for generating seamless and radiometrically accurate mosaics of thermal infrared data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument. Using a combination of high resolution thermal emission spectroscopy results of sand samples and mosaic satellite data, surface emissivity was derived to map surface composition, which led to improvement in the understanding of sand accumulation in the Gran Desierto of northern Sonora, Mexico. These methods were also used to map sand transport pathways in the Sahara Desert, where the interaction between sand saltation and dust emission sources was explored. The characteristics and dynamics of dust sources were studied at White Sands, NM and in the Sahara Desert. At White Sands, an application was developed for studying the response of dust sources to surface soil moisture based on the relationship between soil moisture, apparent thermal inertia and the erosion potential of dust sources. The dynamics of dust sources and the interaction with sand transport pathways were also studied, focusing on the Bodele Depression of Chad and large dust sources in Mali and Mauritania. A dust detection algorithm was developed using ASTER data, and the spectral emissivity of observed atmospheric dust was related to the dust source area in the Sahara. At the Atmospheric Observatory (IZO) in Tenerife, Spain where direct measurement of the Saharan Air Layer could be made, the cycle of dust events occurring in July 2009 were examined. From the observation tower at the IZO, measurements of emitted longwave atmospheric radiance in the TIR wavelength region were made using a Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer (FLIR) handheld camera. The use of the FLIR to study atmospheric dust from the Saharan is a new application. Supporting data from AERONET and other orbital data enabled study of net radiative forcing

Integrated Hyperspectral and Geochemical Analysis of the Upper Mississippian Meramec STACK Play and Outcrop Equivalents, Anadarko Basin and Ozark Uplift, Oklahoma

The principle goal of this project was to investigate compositional, textural, and sedimentological variability in the Oklahoma STACK Play’s Meramec Formation and time equivalent outcrops of the Pryor Creek Formation in northeastern Oklahoma and to assess the potential of a partial-SWIR (Short Wave Infrared, 900-1700 nm) hyperspectral imaging sensor for drill core and sUAS-based (small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) outcrop characterization. The STACK Play is a colloquial term that refers to stacked unconventional petroleum reservoirs that are primarily located in Canadian, Kingfisher, Blaine, and Dewey Counties, central Oklahoma. Discovery of, and commercial production from, the play was initiated in 2011 by Newfield Exploration Co. and today comprises a significant share of unconventional petroleum production in Oklahoma. The most prolific reservoir within the STACK Play is the Meramec Formation which is approximately Meramecian in age. Chapter 2 focuses on two drill cores from the producing Meramec Formation in Dewey and Canadian Counties of central Oklahoma. Conventional core analysis techniques, including analysis of core sedimentology, mineralogy, and geochemistry, are integrated with lab-based partial-SWIR hyperspectral analysis of both cores. The Meramec Formation comprises proximal and distal ramp deposits that include argillaceous quartz siltstones, calcareous quartz siltstones and sandstones, and lesser grainstones. Analysis of partial-SWIR hyperspectral imaging data establishes a relationship between reflectance and primary mineralogy in both cores, which was ultimately used in conjunction with other conventional core data to distinguish multiple orders of stratigraphic cyclicity in the Meramec Formation, including cyclicity that is below the resolution of typical core logging and sampling procedures. Chapter 3 details the study of outcrops located in Pryor Quarry (Mayes County, northeast Oklahoma), which are approximately age equivalent to the Meramec Formation. The potential of sUAS-based partial-SWIR hyperspectral imaging for outcrop analysis is evaluated using lab-based full-SWIR point spectral analysis of samples taken from a vertical outcrop transect in the quarry. Outcrops of the Meramecian Pryor Creek Formation are comprised of wackestones, mudstones, quartz siltstones and to a lesser extent