A Survey on Hyperspectral Imaging for Mineral Exploration using Machine Learning Algorithms

Economic growth of the country mainly depends on the mineral and energy sources. In recent years, there is an increased pressure to reduce the environmental and social impact through the mineral exploration. The data from remote sensing satellite play a vital role and is capable of detecting minerals resources. Hyperspectral remote sensing is an effective tool for mineral exploration applications, as it has been providing significant development over the past three decades. In this paper, an up-to-date and focused review of mineral mapping techniques using the Hyperspectral Imaging (Hyperion data) is provided. A key factor on the success of hyperspectral imaging is the spatial, spectral and temporal resolution and the capability of covering large surfaces of earth using the modern sensor technologies. This review mainly focuses on the fundamentals of hyperspectral imaging and Analytical Imaging & Geophysics (AIG) techniques for mineral mapping. The procedures to be followed in the ENVI software, which is used to analyse and process the Hyperion data, determine the exact locations of different minerals using AIG classification techniques are provided. This review can be a useful baseline for future research in mineral exploration using hyperspectral image analysis.