CANBERRA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have developed a new hyperspectral map showing the makeup of minerals across Australia's surface, helping pinpoint areas that may be rich in mineral deposits.
The technology uses satellites to capture reflected light across more than 200 narrow spectral bands, compared with just 14 bands in conventional satellite imaging, according to a statement from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency.
The technology is particularly relevant as Australia seeks to strengthen its supplies of critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing and national resilience, the statement said.
CSIRO Research Director Sandra Occhipinti said satellite remote sensing allows researchers to examine mineral compositions across the entire continent, providing a level of detail previously only available through field and laboratory measurements on a smaller scale.
CSIRO processed hundreds of terabytes of data to develop a continent-wide mineral dataset, addressing challenges including cloud cover and data quality, the statement said. ■