Remote sensing for mineral exploration

Remote sensing is the science of acquiring, processing, and interpreting images and related data, acquired from aircraft and satellites, that record the interaction between matter and electromagnetic energy. Remote sensing images are used for mineral exploration in two applications: (1) map geology and the faults and fractures that localize ore deposits; (2) recognize hydrothermally altered rocks by their spectral signatures. Landsat thematic mapper (TM) satellite images are widely used to interpret both structure and hydrothermal alteration. Digitally processed TM ratio images can identify two assemblages of hydrothermal alteration minerals; iron minerals, and clays plus alunite. In northern Chile, TM ratio images defined the prospects that are now major copper deposits at Collahuasi and Ujina. Hyperspectral imaging systems can identify individual species of iron and clay minerals, which can provide details of hydrothermal zoning. Silicification, which is an important indicator of hydrothermal alteration, is not recognizable on TM and hyperspectral images. Quartz has no diagnostic spectral features in the visible and reflected IR wavelengths recorded by these systems. Variations in silica content are recognizable in multispectral thermal IR images, which is a promising topic for research. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.