Hyperspectral imaging with UAVs for mineral exploration

Conventional mineral exploration methods are usually based on extensive field work supported by geophysical surveying. These techniques can be restricted by field accessibility, financial status, area size and climate. Additionally, these methods can have a considerable footprint on the environment, upsetting the surrounding community and resulting in mistrust in the exploration sector. To tackle these challenges, we propose to use UAVs during the exploration phase in order to decrease conventional restrictions. The rise in expertise and new sensor technology have allowed geoscientists to apply a wide range of optical remote sensing methods for exploration. Light-weight UAVs have shown to be a fast and flexible tool in aerial surveying for geological purposes (e.g. Madjid et al., 2018; Xiang et al., 2018).
Furthermore, the addition of UAV-based hyperspectral data can improve the accuracy of field mapping and provide the needed information of the geochemical make-up of outcropping deposits for future exploration campaigns (e.g. Booysen et al., 2020). UAV-based surveying can supplement and direct geological observation immediately during fieldwork and thus allow for a better integration with in-situ ground measurements. In particular, such systems are beneficial for inaccessible and remote areas with little infrastructure because they allow for a systematic, dense and non-invasive surveying that might not be possible with ground-based techniques. In this contribution, we will present the various UAVs and payloads used in our field campaigns that acquired data for geological purposes.