The Need for Multi-Source, Multi-Scale Hyperspectral Imaging to Boost Non-Invasive Mineral Exploration


The Need for Multi-Source, Multi-Scale Hyperspectral Imaging to Boost Non-Invasive Mineral Exploration

Gloaguen, R.; Ghamisi, P.; Lorenz, S.; Kirsch, M.; Zimmermann, R.; Booysen, R.; Andreani, L.; Jackisch, R.; Hermann, E.; Tusa, L.; Unger, G.; Contreras, C.; Khodadadzadeh, M.; Fuchs, M.

The high demand for raw materials in our post-industrial societies contrasts the increasing difficulties to find new mineral deposits. In Europe, accessible and high-grade deposits are mostly exhausted or currently mined. Hence, future exploration must focus on the remaining, more remote locations or penetrate much deeper into the Earth's crust. Sustaining mining activities in Europe would allow the development of key technologies but also sustainable and ethical production of technological metals. Thus, we suggest to focus research on advances in multi-scale and multi-sensor remote sensing-based Earth integration techniques. The scale should range from satellite to air- and drone-borne systems and include ground validation. Multi-sensor downscaling methods involving SAR and optical data are particularly promising. We demonstrate that the integration with other sensors and/or measures such as geophysical/geochemical data as well as non-conventional remote sensing features such as textures and geometries are of interest. Thus, ultimately, our objective is to boost the competitiveness, growth, sustainability and attractiveness of the raw material sector in Europe. While we focus on the raw material sector as it is currently of strategic importance, the required methods are transferable to most environmental studies.

Keywords: Hyperspectral Imaging; Mineral Exploration

  • Open Access Logo Contribution to proceedings
    IGARSS 2018 - 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 22.-27.09.2018, Valencia, Spain
    Proceedings of IGARSS 2018

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Publ.-Id: 28859