Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

The transition towards a net-zero economy has led to an increased need for several critical raw materials required for green technologies. Lithium (Li) is one of these materials. Significant mineral exploration using sustainable, efficient and innovative methods is required to not only improve mineral detection and mapping, but also to foster social acceptability for the mining and exploration industry. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for fast and systematic identification of key minerals. In this contribution, we propose an innovative approach for exploration by using hyperspectral data from multiple sensors at various scales to non-invasively map ore and pathfinder minerals. We showcase this approach in an open-pit and under-ground sites in South Africa, Namibia and Germany by acquiring data in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) with both a tripod and a drone. Hand-samples and drill-cores were used to identify the relevant minerals as well as for training/validation purposes. Using computer vision techniques, we were able to create a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of the sites with HSI attributes to allow for the subsequent spectral mapping of relevant Li-bearing minerals. Results were validated using drill-core data, LIBS measurements and geochemical analyses of hand samples.