1. Band ratio: B5/B7 Blue is well ordered kaolinite, Al-rich muscovite/illite, paragonite, pyrophyllite Red is Al-poor (Si-rich) muscovite (phengite) useful for mapping: (1) exposed saprolite/saprock is often white mica or Al-smectite (warmer colours) whereas transported materials are often kaolin-rich (cooler colours); (2) clays developed over carbonates, especially Al-smectite (montmorillonite, beidellite) will produce middle to warmers colours. (2) stratigraphic mapping based on different clay-types; and (3) lithology-overprinting hydrothermal alteration, e.g. Si-rich and K-rich phengitic mica (warmer colours). Combine with Ferrous iron in MgOH and FeOH content products to look for evidence of overlapping/juxtaposed potassic metasomatism in ferromagnesian parents rocks (e.g. Archaean greenstone associated Au mineralisation) +/- associated distal propyllitic alteration (e.g. chlorite, amphibole).

1. Band ratio: B4/B3 Blue is low abundance, Red is high abundance (1) Exposed iron ore (hematite-goethite). Use in combination with the "Opaques index" to help separate/map dark (a) surface lags (e.g. maghemite gravels) which can be misidentified in visible and false colour imagery; and (b) magnetite in BIF and/or bedded iron ore; and (3) Acid conditions: combine with FeOH Group content to help map jarosite which will have high values in both products. Mapping hematite versus goethite mapping is NOT easily achieved as ASTER's spectral bands were not designed to capture diagnostic iron oxide spectral behaviour. However, some information on visible colour relating in part to differences in hematite and/or goethite content can be obtained using a ratio of B2/B1 especially when this is masked using a B4/B3 to locate those pixels with sufficient iro oxide content.

1. Band ratio: (B5+B7)/B6 Blue is low abundance, Red is high abundance potentially includes: phengite, muscovite, paragonite, lepidolite, illite, brammalite, montmorillonite, beidellite, kaolinite, dickite Useful for mapping: (1) exposed saprolite/saprock (2) clay-rich stratigraphic horizons; (3) lithology-overprinting hydrothermal phyllic (e.g. white mica) alteration; and (4) clay-rich diluents in ore systems (e.g. clay in iron ore). Also combine with AlOH composition to help map: (1) exposed in situ parent material persisting through "cover" which can be expressed as: (a) more abundant AlOH content + (b) long-wavelength (warmer colour) AlOH composition (e.g. muscovite/phengite).

Comprises a national satellite imagery mosaic and derived information products produced by a collaboration of CSIRO, Geoscience Australia (GA) and State and Territory Surveys, and several additional national and international collaborators. Mineral products were derived using a validated mosaic of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data. <b>Value: </b>The data are used to understand distributions of and changes in surface materials and assessment of environmental, agricultural and resource potential. <b>Scope: </b>This dataset covers the continent with the intent to provide the best quality mosaic from 10+ year archive of scenes across Australia (i.e., lowest cloud/vegetation cover, high sun angle etc)

1. Band ratio: (B6+B8)/B7 Blue is low content, Red is high content (potentially includes: chlorite, epidote, jarosite, nontronite, gibbsite, gypsum, opal-chalcedony) Useful for mapping: (1) jarosite (acid conditions) - in combination with ferric oxide content (high); (2) gypsum/gibbsite - in combination with ferric oxide content (low); (3) magnesite - in combination with ferric oxide content (low) and MgOH content (moderate-high) (4) chlorite (e.g. propyllitic alteration) - in combination with Ferrous in MgOH (high); and (5) epidote (calc-silicate alteration) - in combination with Ferrous in MgOH (low).

1. 3 band RGB composite Red: B3/B2 Green: B3/B7 Blue: B4/B7 (white = green vegetation) Use this image to help interpret (1) the amount of green vegetation cover (appears as white); (2) basic spectral separation (colour) between different regolith and geological units and regions/provinces; and (3) evidence for unmasked cloud (appears as green).

B6/B5 (potential includes: pyrophyllite, alunite, well-ordered kaolinite) Blue is low content, Red is high content Useful for mapping: (1) different clay-type stratigraphic horizons; (2) lithology-overprinting hydrothermal alteration, e.g. high sulphidation, "advanced argillic" alteration comprising pyrophyllite, alunite, kaolinite/dickite; and (3) well-ordered kaolinite (warmer colours) versus poorly-ordered kaolinite (cooler colours) which can be used for mapping in situ versus transported materials, respectively.

1. Band ratio: B5/B4 Blue is low abundance, Red is high abundance This product can help map exposed "fresh" (un-oxidised) rocks (warm colours) especially mafic and ultramafic lithologies rich in ferrous silicates (e.g. actinolite, chlorite) and/or ferrous carbonates (e.g. ferroan dolomite, ankerite, siderite). Applying an MgOH Group content mask to this product helps to isolate ferrous bearing non-OH bearing minerals like pyroxenes (e.g. jadeite) from OH-bearing or carbonate-bearing ferrous minerals like actinolite or ankerite, respectively. Also combine with the FeOH Group content product to find evidence for ferrous-bearing chlorite (e.g. chamosite).

1. Band ratio: (B10+B12)/B11 Blue is low gypsum content. Red is high gypsum content. Accuracy: Very Low: Strongly complicated by dry vegetation and often inversely correlated with quartz-rich materials. Affected by discontinuous line-striping. Use in combination with FeOH product which is also sensitive to gypsum. Geoscience Applications: Useful for mapping: (1) evaporative environments (e.g. salt lakes) and associated arid aeolian systems (e.g. dunes); (2) acid waters (e.g. from oxidising sulphides) invading carbonate rich materials including around mine environments; and (3) hydrothermal (e.g. volcanic) systems.

Band ratio: B3/B2 Blue is low content Red is high content Use this image to help interpret the amount of "obscuring/complicating" green vegetation cover.