The $16 million, five-year research project is funded by the USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI), through investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Critical minerals are vital to the nation’s economy and national security, these investments will help improve our understanding of domestic critical mineral resources, a key step in securing a reliable and sustainable supply of the critical minerals that power everything from household appliances and Electronics to create clean energy. Technologies such as batteries and wind turbines.
“This exciting scientific effort is made possible by investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will enable NASA and the USGS to leverage our unique capabilities toward a common goal,” said USGS Director David Applegate. not only critical mineral research, but also for a wide range of other scientific applications, from the reduction of natural hazards to ecosystem restoration.
“This exciting new project is just one example of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to a clean energy future,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA has a long history of Earth observation that shows us how the planet is responding to climate change. This project builds on our 60-year legacy, and can show us where to look for the resources that support our transition to a clean energy economy.” With our partners at USGS, NASA has led the way in developing these Earth observation systems to collect information to measure and monitor the environment and climate change.
The research project will use NASA’s Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) High-Altitude Earth Remote Sensing Platform to collect hyperspectral data over large regions in the arid and semi-arid western United States. Hyperspectral data are reflections of light from surfaces, measured over hundreds of frequency bands. These measurements capture not only the light that is visible to our eyes, but also the bands of light beyond the visible, into the infrared.
This data can be very useful for studying surface rock formations, as each mineral and rock has its own unique reflection properties across the different bands of light. Looking for these patterns or “spectral signatures” can help identify places with high potential for mineral resources.
Hyperspectral imaging has a long history of use in mineral exploration. USGS scientists have previously used hyperspectral data to analyze mineral potential in Alaska. In addition, the USGS and NASA have a long history of collaboration to collect and analyze hyperspectral data, including the 17-year Earth Observing-1 mission. These data are also useful for understanding a variety of other earth science and biological issues, including geological acid mine drainage, debris flows, agriculture, wildfires and biodiversity.
The research will include the evaluation of critical mineral potential in mine tailings. Mine waste is receiving increasing attention for its potential to contain critical mineral resources, especially those produced mostly as by-products, while also providing an opportunity for the remediation of contaminated sites. For example, the USGS recently analyzed mine tailings from historic iron production in the Adirondacks of New York for rare earth element potential.
This data collection effort is funded by the USGS Earth MRI project, which is a partnership between the USGS and state geological surveys to modernize our understanding of the nation’s fundamental geological framework and mineral resources through new geological maps, geophysical and topographic surveys, and geochemical sampling. . Bipartisan Infrastructure Act funding has accelerated this new mapping in areas with potential to host critical mineral resources both still in the ground and in mine tailings. Earlier this year, $74 million was allocated to advance critical mineral mapping through the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, thanks to resources provided by the Act.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act promotes scientific innovation through an investment of $510.7 million to the USGS to support integrated mapping and interpretation of mineral resource data, the preservation of data from geochemical samples from Earth MRI, and construction of a USGS energy- and Mineral Research Center in Golden, Colorado.
More information can be found here. To learn more about how USGS is investing resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit our website. To learn more about USGS mineral resources and commodity information, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter.
