Hyperspectral Mineral Mapping in Support of Geothermal Exploration: Examples from Long Valley Caldera, CA and Dixie Valley, NV, USA
Growing interest and exploration dollars within the geothermal sector have paved the way for increasingly sophisticated suites of geophysical and geochemical tools and methodologies. The efforts to characterize and assess known geothermal fields and find new, previously unknown resources has been aided by the advent of higher spatial resolution airborne geophysics (e.g. aeromagnetics), development of new seismic processing techniques, and the genesis of modern multi-dimensional fluid flow and structural modeling algorithms, just to name a few. One of the newest techniques on the scene, is hyperspectral imaging. Really an optical analytical geochemical tool, hyperspectral imagers (or imaging spectrometers as they are also called), are generally flown at medium to high altitudes aboard mid-sized aircraft and much in the same way more familiar geophysics are flown. The hyperspectral data records a continuous spatial record of the earth's surface, as well as measuring a continuous spectral record of reflected sunlight or emitted thermal radiation. This high fidelity, uninterrupted spatial and spectral record allows for accurate material distribution mapping and quantitative identification at the pixel to sub-pixel level. In volcanic/geothermal regions, this capability translates to synoptic, high spatial resolution, large-area mineral maps generated at time scales conducive to both the faster pace of the exploration and drilling managers, as well as to the slower pace of geologists and other researchers trying to understand the geothermal system over the long run.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 15013899
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-PROC-202710; TRN: US200803%%864
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at: Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting, Morelia, Mexico, Oct 10 - Oct 16, 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Geobotanical characterization of a geothermal system using hyperspectral imagery: Long Valley Caldera, CA
Geobotanical Remote Sensing Applied to Targeting New Geothermal Resource Locations in the U.S. Basin and Range with a Focus on Dixie Meadows, NV