🛰️ How to Detect Minerals (Au, Cu, Li, Fe, etc.) Using Multispectral & Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

Gérard Cubaka — Geospatial / AI / Earth Observation 🌍 Introduction Mineral exploration has been revolutionized by remote sensing. Instead of relying only on fieldwork, geologists can now detect mineralization zones from satellite imagery . The key idea is simple: Each mineral interacts with electromagnetic radiation differently — creating a unique spectral signature across Visible, NIR, SWIR, and TIR wavelengths. This article explains: How to detect key minerals (Au, Cu, Fe, Li, etc.) using multispectral data The band ratios and indices used in practice How hyperspectral data unlocks precise mineral identification 🧪 1. Core Principle: Spectral Signatures Every mineral: Reflects certain wavelengths Absorbs others For example: Iron oxides → strong in visible (red) Clays → absorption near 2.2 µm (SWIR) Quartz → better detected in thermal infrared (TIR) 🛰️ 2. Multispectral Mineral Detection Multispectral sensors (e.g., ASTER, Landsat 8/9) use broad bands , so we rely on: Band ratios Indice