Magnetometers could sense the disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field to pinpoint metallic ore deposits deep underground. Infrared cameras could penetrate inclement weather conditions better than conventional photography and more easily identify the mineral content of soil. It wasn’t until the post-World War II, that new sensing modalities came into play as technologies developed during the war were then applied to commercial applications that would become hallmarks of modern aerial-based mineral exploration. Today, remote sensing has become one of the most important methods to quickly and directly acquire information about the Earth’s surfaceīut visible spectrum photography alone had limitations – weather, daylight, and the simple fact that much of what they were looking for was hidden underground. With the help of some complicated math, detailed maps could be derived from these photographs. At its most basic level, geologists and prospectors would simply point their cameras out of aircrafts (first balloons, then airplanes, now drones) to take pictures of the ground below, gathering information on topography and soil that might reveal clues about(?) the location of minerals. Remote imaging has been used in exploration for a long time. Routine use of existing hyperspectral systems by the minerals industry has been hampered by the unavailability of systems for industrial use, the high cost of hyperspectral data (when available) compared to typical multispectral data, and the need for additional research into the processing of hyperspectral data.Īfter a few rough years in terms of growth and investment from 2010-2015, with falling prices and low investment, 2017 is starting to look better, and companies may be looking to invest in new technologies to better find and extract the resources the world’s economy is demanding. The next step is likely hyperspectral imaging. Multispectral imaging is already used in satellite, drone and aircraft-based systems in the hunt for new valuable mineral deposits on Earth, and it’s also starting to be used in space! How can we more easily find needed deposits at scale? On earth? And in space? Source: NASA / JPL - Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) How much gold remains to be mined on Earth? How about the lesser-known element indium, necessary for computer and smartphone displays? With known sources of some essential metals facing depletion within the next few decades, there is more pressure on pursuing alternatives to existing mining exploration technologies. Hyperspectral imaging is a special case of spectral imaging where often hundreds of contiguous spectral bands are available. Multispectral imaging measures light in a small number (typically 3 to 15) of spectral bands. It was originally developed for space-based imaging, and has also found use in document and painting analysis. Spectral imaging can allow extraction of additional information the human eye fails to capture with its receptors for red, green and blue. ![]() ![]() The wavelengths may be separated by filters or by the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible light range, i.e. A multispectral image is one that captures image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |