Application of PRISMA satellite hyperspectral imagery to mineral alteration mapping at Cuprite, Nevada, USA

Abstract

The PRISMA hyperspectral imaging satellite of the Italian Space Agency was launched into orbit on March 22, 2019. The PRISMA is a pushbroom sensor that records 250 hyperspectral bands in the 0.4-2.5 μm wavelength region at a spatial resolution of 30 m. The swath of the hyperspectral imagery is 30 km. This study evaluates the application of the PRISMA hyperspectral imagery to mineral exploration. The study area is the Cuprite in Nevada, USA. Cuprite has served as test-site for a number of airborne and spaceborne remote sensing imaging systems. The Cuprite PRISMA hyperspectral data were analyzed with the Advanced Coherence Estimator algorithm. The analysis of the hyperspectral imagery accurately mapped the spatial distribution of alunite, kaolinite, hydrated silica, muscovite and buddingtonite. The study shows that the PRISMA hyperspectral imagery is a useful tool for mineral exploration projects in arid and semi-arid environments.