2D mineral prospectivity mapping of hand specimen and outcrop walls using AHS and pXRF data in Bockau

The Goldeneye project combines different sensing technologies with proximal sensing to produce reference calibrated mineralogical maps through data fusion. In order to develop mineral detection applications, rock specimens, taken from an outcrop in Bockau (Erzgebirge, Germany), are analyzed with active hyperspectral scanning (AHS) as well as portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) devices. The received data is analyzed by means of artificial intelligence in order to develop an approach to automatically map the minerals with the samples. The analysis is carried out in advangeo® 2D Prediction, developed by Beak Consultants GmbH. Tin concentrations derived from pXRF measurements and AHS data from 2/3 of the specimen surface serve as training and validation data of the artificial intelligence algorithm (artificial neural networks). As a result, we developed a prediction model for the distribution of tin and its associated mineral cassiterite throughout the rock specimen, which allows to detect the mineral potential of hand specimens and larger outcrops in a fast and reliable manner.

The paper has been prepared in the frame of the Horizon 2020 co-funded project GOLDENEYE, which has received funds through the Grant Agreement 869398.