The Browse Basin airborne laser fluorosensor (ALF) MkII survey was flown in 1989. The MkII system used a 308nm laser wavelength, which is longer than the 266nm used in the later MkIII system. The Raman peak wavelength is 344nm (293nm MkIII) and the fluorescence region is 370nm to 580nm (320nm to 580nm MkIII). 32 lines were acquired at about 5,000m spacing in a NNE-SSW orientation and a flying height of 100m. A total of 133,125 spectra were collected at an average spacing of 16m to 25m. About 2,270 km of line data were acquired. Each recorded spectrum is the average (or sum) of ten detected spectra. The averaging was done to reduce the data recording rate, which was limited by the available hardware. The survey was interpreted using the ALF Explorer application that consists of a database linked to a set of data processing, analysis and display modules. A total of 776 fluors were interpreted out of the 133,125 recorded spectra. The fluorescence response over most of the survey area consisted mostly of relatively low confidence fluors. High intensity fluors are located over Scott Reef but are probably caused by the reef material fluorescing.

This study assessed the geochemical indicators for carbonatite-associated and alkaline igneous REE mineral systems based on state-scale ASTER data for Western Australia and the National Geochemical Survey of Australia. In the latter we applied discrete field models obtained by attributing catchment outlet sediment geochemical data to their catchment basins. The cerium data was found to be a suitable proxy for the main features of REE distribution across the continent. In general, this provided a well-expressed positive correlation between identified catchments with anomalous (elevated) Ce and the mineral occurrences and deposits that they contained but not all REE deposits were identified by these methods. The study also included more detailed mineral mapping using the recently released ASTER geoscience map of Western Australia (WA). A study of the relatively well exposed Yangibana 'ironstone' dykes in the Gascoyne Province of Western Australia showed relatively good correlations with known REE occurrences for the AlOH Group Composition, MgOH Group Composition and Ferrous Iron Content in MgOH/carbonate ASTER products. However, no well defined correlations were observed for Mt Weld, Ponton and Cummins Range all of which occur under cover. The ASTER SWIR products have difficulty detecting the types of minerals present in alteration zones surrounding these carbonatites. Some of these minerals may be detected with the ASTER thermal infrared geoscience products which were not available at the time of this study. These products will include a silica index (e.g. for quartz, feldspars, Al-clays), a carbonate index (e.g. for calcite, dolomite, magnesite, siderite, ankerite) and a mafic group index (e.g. for pyroxenes, garnets, olivine, epidote, chlorite, calcite, magnesite, dolomite). However, the lower resolution of the thermal infrared bands (~90 m) may still make it difficult to detect carbonatite-associated mineralisation. Finally, the ASTER data for the Brockman (Hastings) alkaline igneous REE deposit was also examined. The mineralised unit of this deposit only reaches a maximum width of 35 m and so, once again, proved difficult to detect with ASTER. However, the ASTER maps readily highlighted the contact between the Olympio Formation to the east with the Biscay Formation to the west and demonstrated the mapping capabilities of the ASTER products where the lithologies are relatively well exposed. In order to overcome the problem of only sampling the surface, we combined the ASTER data with the regional magnetic data because the magnetic signal is derived from a greater depth. As many carbonatite complexes are surrounded by mafic alkaline rocks, they often show up as a magnetic bull's eye combined with a gravity low and ringed by a gravity high.

Mapping of regolith materials at the regional and continental-scale for environmental, agricultural and resource exploration for is being advanced through a new generation of remote sensing technologies, particularly satellite remote sensing methods. The work has demonstrated the identification and classification of regolith materials and thickness indicators is essential to facilitate ongoing exploration in challenging regolith-dominated terrains, and that geochemical information about alteration chemistry associated with footprints of mineral systems can be acquired by analysing spectral ground response, particularly in short-wave infra-red.

Archived imagery

This document describes a format of the AVNIR-2 (Advanced Bisible Near-Infrared Radiometer) products generaged by the ALOS Data Processing Subsystem.

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The product SAR.PRI is a digital image generated from raw SAR data using up-to-date auxiliary parameters, corrected for antenna elevation gain and range spreading loss. The image, projected on ground range, covers an area of 1400km wide and at least 102.5 km long. The ESA SAR.PRI format is based on the grneral definition of the SAR CEOS format (ref. ER-IS-EPO-GS-5902.

The product SAR.GTC is a digital image generated from raw SAR data takes using up-tp-date auxiliary parameters, with the best available instrumental corrections applied, precisely located, corrected for terrain varieations and rectified onto a map projection. The ESA SAR.GTC format is based on the general definition of the SAR CEOS format (ref. ER-IS-EPO-GS-5902).