US-Namibia Cooperative Research: Potential of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for Geological Mapping and Resource Evaluation in Arid Regions When Used in the Damaran Terrane

South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology, Rapid City SD

Investigators

Abstract

0080679 Duke & Paterson This award supports a three-year collaborative research project among Drs. Edward Duke and Colin Paterson, of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and Drs. Volker Petzel and Herbert Roesener, of the Geological Survey of Namibia. The project will also include the participation of a US graduate student and a Namibian graduate student. The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been developing field-based and remotely-sensed spectroscopic methods for mapping variations in the distribution and composition of metamorphic minerals. While the methods are currently only suitable for use in areas with minimal vegetative cover, they still provide an unprecedented opportunity to conduct basic research on geological processes in understudied parts of the world. Using state-of-the-art satellite, airborne, and ground-based remote sensing techniques and instrumentation in combination with field-based studies, the investigators will map variations in mineralogy, metamorphic conditions, and fluid flow in parts of the Damaran terrane in Namibia. Because of its minimal vegetative cover, this terrane provides excellent exposure of a variety of rock types. It also has a wide range of metamorphic conditions and many hydrothermal ore deposits. The project combines the US researchers' expertise in petrology, mineral deposits, and geological remote sensing applications, with the Namibian investigators' knowledge about their regional geology and ore deposits. This project complements the work of the Geological Survey of Namibia to map the Damaran stratigraphy and geochronology. The project results are expected to identify the geological environment in which new mineral resources may be identified, and they will be used to develop a database for mineral occurrences in Namibia. These results are expected to provide significant new information on the geology and ore deposits of the orogenic belt, thereby advancing our understanding and knowledge about Earth's system. Additionally, this project will help establish an important scientific and logistical framework for utilizing the new hyperspectral sensors to evaluate natural resources in Subsaharan Africa. The Division of International Programs and the Division of Earth Sciences are jointly providing funding for this project.