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Drone-based surveys of mineral deposits

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 1, page 187 (2020)Cite this article

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The rising demand for raw materials, such as rare earth elements and lithium, makes the exploration and extraction of mineral deposits critical. Identification of Earth’s hidden treasures is becoming increasingly difficult, owing to the continued depletion of easily accessible deposits and the social stigma surrounding mining activities. Efficient methods that minimise invasive and costly drilling are key for the discovery of potentially profitable mineral resources. However, a gap in observation scales remains. Traditional ground-based surveys (such as rock and soil sampling), although detailed, can only cover some 15–30 kilometres per day, and large-scale mapping via helicopter, plane and satellite fails to provide sufficient resolution to efficiently map small-scale (<1 km2) geological features.

Drones are becoming important tools for mineral exploration by contributing to the safe, efficient and sustainable provision of the high-tech metals that are required by modern society. For example, drone-based hyperspectral imaging has been used to rapidly map rare-earth-element-rich minerals in Namibia. In addition, in Greenland, drone-based magnetic surveys were deployed to identify sub-surface ore potential at a fraction of the cost of traditional surveys. Drones have the potential to provide non-invasive and eco-friendly platforms from which the environmental impact of exploration and mining activities (such as soil erosion, acid mine drainage and vegetation stress) can be assessed.

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  1. Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg, Saxony, Germany

    Robert Jackisch

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  1. Robert Jackisch
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Correspondence to Robert Jackisch.

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Jackisch, R. Drone-based surveys of mineral deposits. Nat Rev Earth Environ 1, 187 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0042-1

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