Virga

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Optical remote sensing or ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) can be defined as the procedure of observing the physical attributes of an area through the the measurement of its emitted and reflected radition over time from a particular distance.

 With the development of satellite technologies, modern satellites are capable of making use of equipment for remote sensing. With their broad coverage of the planetary surface, satellites improve the effectiveness and the range of areas remote sensing can be used for.

 Today, it is possible to see variations of this technology being used for different geological interests including mineral mapping, exploration of valuable materials and analysis of large spatial areas.

Many metallic ore deposits and minerals have characteristic properties which become visible using different wavelenghts of light. This is because the amount of solar radiation a mineral emits and reflects depends on the unique chemical compositon of that mineral. Meaning that the reflected wavelenghts works as a fingerprint for the given element. This fingerprint is called spectral signature. After the spectral image of an area is produced, the image is compared to the spectral images of other areas where there is information that a specific mineral exists. In most cases the wavelenghts of reflected light from minerals are out of the visible electro-magnetic spectrum, meaning that infra-red and ultra-violet lights should be detected.

In earlier days of mining operations, search for valuable ores or minerals often resulted in the leakage of unwanted chemicals, produced waste and damaged the area. Mining practices without proper data regarding where the ores and minerals are located at and what other materials may lay beneath meant randomness was still a possible danger. In most cases, the search for the wanted material contaminated the surrounding soil with heavy metals. In order to address this issue, many developed countries issued strict regulations on mining activities. However, these measurements also meant that companies and their operations were given much less freedom for progress. This process requires a significant amount of time, money and energy to carry out. Alternative and more effective methods of analysis like remote sensing therefore gain importance. 

 The main purpose of our project is to highlight how ASTER remote sensing technology is a benefical tool for humanity and demonstrate tangible improvements the technology brings along. For this purpose, in our project we include how ASTER solves or improves upon the issues of mineral exploration and geological mapping like the above mentioned problems. We provide data regarding the qualities of ASTER remote sensing and portray the contrast between the results with and without the usage of the technology. We analyze previous examples of how the technology was used to showcase the range of applications in which humanity can benefit from ASTER.

https://terra.nasa.gov/about/terra-instruments/aster

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ASTERProspecting

https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search?fi=ASTER&m=-0.9482989746240521!13.9482421875!5!1!0!0%2C2

these data showed us the variety of usage these satellites have, and provided us with great information and examples to use in our project.

We were inspired by our teacher to attend to this challenge. We had a really fun time with our team, learned lots of new thing and improved our skills in presentation and research. We faced difficulties yet we managed get over them. We hope this challenge leads us to a brighter future

ASTERProspecting. (n.d.). ASTERProspecting. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ASTERProspecting​

Campbell, K. (2017, June 2). Earth observation satellites starting to bring benefits to mining sector. Mining Weekly. https://www.miningweekly.com/article/earth-observation-satellites-starting-to-bring-benefits-to-mining-sector-2017-06-02​

Earthdata Search. (n.d.). European Space Imaging. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search?fi=ASTER&m=-0.9482989746240521!13.9482421875!5!1!0!0%2C2​

Gazetesi, D. (2013, March 12). Uydudan maden arıyorlar. Dünya Gazetesi. https://www.dunya.com/ekonomi/uydudan-maden-ariyorlar-haberi-204064​

Lindsey, K. (2018, June 27). Study finds Arctic research can be prohibitively costly. ArcticToday. https://www.arctictoday.com/study-finds-arctic-research-can-prohibitively-costly/​

Mineral Exploration - ISRO. (n.d.). Mineral Exploration - ISRO. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.isro.gov.in/Mineral_Exploration​

Mineral Mapping, Mining, Geological Mapping | Satellite Imaging Corp. (n.d.). Mineral Mapping, Mining, Geological Mapping | Satellite Imaging Corp. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://www.satimagingcorp.com/applications/energy/mining/​

Recent advances in the use of public domain satellite imagery for mineral exploration: A review of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 applications. (2020, February 1). ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169136819305517​

Regional geology mapping using satellite-based remote sensing approach in Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. (2018, June 1). ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187396521730107X​

S. (2016, December 19). Five Applications of Satellite Data. GIS Lounge. https://www.gislounge.com/five-applications-of-satellite-data/​

Varol, M. K. (2019, March 30). Investment Risk Evaluation of Siirt Madenköy Copper Mine in Turkey. dergipark. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/bilgesci/issue/44296/487621​

Wheeler, C. (2021, September 2). Mineral Exploration from Space. Esri. https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcwatch/mineral-exploration-in-the-hyperspectral-zone/

#research #ASTER #satellites #remote_sense_technology #Virga #mining #mineral_exploration #mineral_mapping

This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.