Spectral
mineral
mapping
Real targets from the right wavelengths
Experience.Expertise.Analytics.
Our expertise across the globe
Every pin is ground where our spectral analysis answered a real exploration question, from critical minerals to precious metals and beyond. Pick a mining district - or click any pin - to know more information.
Mapping minerals from space, in plain terms
Every mineral reflects and absorbs sunlight in its own distinct pattern - a spectral signature. Satellites carrying spectral sensors capture that pattern across many wavelength bands, well beyond what the eye or a standard camera can see. Matched against known mineral libraries, those signatures reveal what's actually at the surface: clays, iron oxides, carbonates and other phyllosilicates.
Detecting minerals associated with specific deposits helps select areas of interest and prioritise targets - whether that's hydrothermal alteration, distinctive lithology, or structure.
Pretty colours don't find metals.
Anyone can make a vivid false-colour image. Real mineral mapping requires the right wavelengths, rigorous spectral interpretation, and geologists who know what they're looking at.
Where remote sensing sits in the exploration workflow
What it does well
- Identify alteration mineral assemblages and zoning
- Reduce the ground-check area by orders of magnitude
- Add spatial context to geophysical and geochemical data
- Vector toward buried mineralisation via alteration gradients
- Stop field teams chasing false anomalies
What it cannot do
- Detect gold, silver, copper or REE directly
- See through vegetation, soil or regolith cover
- Provide grade or tonnage estimates
- Replace geophysics, geochemistry or drilling
- Confirm a mineral system - only that conditions are favourable
What comes next
- Integration with magnetics, radiometrics, IP, gravity
- Geochemical sampling to confirm elemental anomalism
- Field validation of spectral anomalies on the ground
- Drill-core spectral logging to extend mineralogy to depth
- Laboratory assay to confirm economic grade
Two ways to work with us
Geoimage Spectral Suite
Standardised, ready-to-use mineral mapping output - built on validated spectral libraries and a consistent processing pipeline. Faster turnaround, fixed scope, for teams who want a reliable first-pass layer for their own workflow.
Best for: regional screening, leaner budgets, and teams with in-house spectral geologists.
View the Geoimage Spectral SuiteGeoimage Spectral Mapping
A full-service engagement - sensor selection, processing and interpretation tailored to your tenement, target model and existing datasets. Our geologists work directly with your team from tasking through to ranked targets.
Best for: small teams without internal capability, projects that integrate multiple datasets, or anyone who wants a detailed analysis - like having your own exploration spectral geologist.
Jump to Independent by designSee the benefits of spectral data
On the left, an optical image, showing the terrain as the eye would see it. On the right, different combinations of spectral bands, giving clues about the geology.
Not all spectral sensors are created equal
The critical wavelengths for clay minerals, carbonates and phyllosilicates all sit in SWIR (1,400–2,500 nm). Here's what spectral sensors can cover.
| Sensor / platform | Spectral coverage | SWIR to 2,500 nm | Bands | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landsat 8/9 OLIUSGS/NASA - free, long archive, also TIR | VNIRSWIR→2,290 |
Multispectral SWIR | 11 | 15 / 30 / 100 m |
| ASTERMETI/NASA - free archive, also TIR | VNIRSWIR→2,430 nm |
Multispectral SWIR | 14 | 15 / 30 / 90 m |
| Sentinel-2 MSIESA - only one diagnostic SWIR band | VNIRSWIR→2,190 |
Partial SWIR only | 13 | 10–20 m |
| WorldView-3Vantor - commercial VHR + SWIR | VNIRSWIR→2,365 nm |
Multispectral SWIR | 16 | 3.7 m |
| Hyperspectral nanosatellitesVNIR-only today; SWIR variants in development | VNIR 400–1,000 nm~SWIR planned |
VNIR only (current) | 100+ | ~5–30 m |
| EMITNASA JPL - ISS-mounted spectrometer | VNIRSWIR→2,493 nm |
Hyperspectral SWIR | 285 | 60 m |
| PRISMAASI / Italian Space Agency | VNIRSWIR→2,505 nm |
Hyperspectral SWIR | 250 | 30 m |
| EnMAPDLR / German Space Agency | VNIRSWIR→2,450 nm |
Hyperspectral SWIR | 228 | 30 m |
This focuses on SWIR, the minerals most commonly requested. Some sensors measure well beyond SWIR - into mid- and thermal infrared - which can resolve other minerals, such as tectosilicates, not covered here.
Band count and spectral range are only half the story - signal-to-noise ratio decides whether those bands are actually usable. What a sensor offers on paper and what its delivered spectra look like in practice are two different questions. Only the second one matters for drill targeting.
Some imagery we have delivered
Across different terrains, sensors and target minerals. Click any image to view it full size.
Independent by design
Geoimage isn't a subscription to imagery or a platform. We run the full chain - from choosing the right sensor to handing you a target map - under one team, one point of contact. Sensor choice depends on your target minerals, feature scale, budget and terrain, and it's often a combination of sensors, not just one. We'll explain the benefits and limitations clearly from early in the conversation.
We don't operate a satellite ourselves, so our recommendation is never shaped by what we're reselling. We've reviewed data from most providers on the market - and if we don't recommend one, it's because we've assessed it and the value wasn't there: poor signal-to-noise, coverage that misses the minerals that matter, or claims that don't match the sensor.
Data acquisition & tasking
We task the sensor - or source archive imagery - that matches your target minerals and terrain, based on an independent assessment of what the job needs.
Spectral processing
Full VNIR–SWIR unmixing and feature extraction - absorption position, depth and asymmetry matched against validated libraries, with SNR checked before interpretation.
Geological interpretation
A geologist reviews every dataset against known deposit models - alteration zoning, pathfinder assemblages, structural controls. Not an algorithm running alone.
Exploration-ready deliverables
Ranked, GIS-integrated targets with the spectral evidence behind them, plus a written interpretation - ready to fold into your existing program.
Satellites are one platform. Spectral mineralogy doesn't stop at the sensor.
Spectral geology isn't a satellite only discipline - and neither are we. If you already have airborne, drone-mounted, handheld or core-tray spectral data, we can help you integrate it all and get the most value out of every sensor involved.
We've worked across every scale and platform - from continental satellite mosaics to core scans, airborne surveys to field-spectrometer campaigns. That breadth lets us recommend the right sensor for your question and integrate results across scales.
Connect with us
We work with exploration companies who want real spectral interpretation - not just colourful outputs from a pipeline with no geologist in the loop.
Get in touch