Mapping alteration using imagery from the Tiangong-1 hyperspectral spaceborne system: Example for the Jintanzi gold province, China

Mineral mapping using spaceborne Tiangong‐1 hyperspectral imagery and ASTER data: A case study of alteration detection in support of regional geological survey at Jintanzi‐Malianquan area, Beishan, Gansu Province, China

“…Based on the XRD analysis and previous study (Liu et al, ), muscovite, calcite, dolomite, chlorite, epidote, and kaolinite were identified as alteration indicators in the study area and presence of their unique spectral features were verified by laboratory spectral measurement.…”

“…in Proterozic dolomitic sediments and Palaeozoic sandstone, rhyolite, andesite, and various metasediments. The granitic to mafic intrusions occupy nearly 50% of the Jintanzi‐Malianquan area and were proven to be 420–205 million years old and intruded in four stages (Jiang & Nie, ; Liu et al, ). For the first stage, the intrusions invaded during early Devonian and are composed of hornblende gabbro and grey diorite, while granites are the dominant intrusive bodies in the last stage, which happened during Late Permian to Triassic (Figure ).…”

“…The SWIR imagery has a spatial resolution of 20 m, which is the highest spatial resolution for all available spaceborne hyperspectral sensors in the SWIR spectral range. Since the Tiangong‐1 HSI data was released in March 2014, researchers are exploring its capability for mapping various minerals, and only a few studies have been published to date (Ge et al, ; Liu et al, ). Our previous study tested the ability of Tiangong‐1 HSI data for mapping alteration minerals in a well‐known small test area in Beishan, Gansu Province, Northwest China (Liu et al, ).…”

“…Since the Tiangong‐1 HSI data was released in March 2014, researchers are exploring its capability for mapping various minerals, and only a few studies have been published to date (Ge et al, ; Liu et al, ). Our previous study tested the ability of Tiangong‐1 HSI data for mapping alteration minerals in a well‐known small test area in Beishan, Gansu Province, Northwest China (Liu et al, ). It is confirmed that spaceborne Tiangong‐1 HSI data are capable of mapping important surface mineralogy, including muscovite, kaolinite, chlorite, epidote, calcite, and dolomite by comparing the results with high‐resolution SASI airborne survey (Liu et al, ).…”

“…Our previous study tested the ability of Tiangong‐1 HSI data for mapping alteration minerals in a well‐known small test area in Beishan, Gansu Province, Northwest China (Liu et al, ). It is confirmed that spaceborne Tiangong‐1 HSI data are capable of mapping important surface mineralogy, including muscovite, kaolinite, chlorite, epidote, calcite, and dolomite by comparing the results with high‐resolution SASI airborne survey (Liu et al, ). As airborne hyperspectral survey is costly to provide extensive coverage of mapping area, spaceborne Tiangong‐1 data are used in this alteration mapping effort to cover a larger area, named Jintanzi‐Malianquan area (Figure ), with more diversified rock types and complicated geological background than the previous study.…”