Prospectivity and Extractability Modeling of Ni-Co Laterite in the Josephine Peridotite, California and Oregon, USA, from Historical and Modern Sources

This dataset consists of a 200m raster suitability model for the extraction of nickel laterite in the northern California/southern Oregon, USA region. The primary model is composited from three equally weighted submodels: the relative probability of nickel laterite to be present within the study area (prospectivity); environmental and legal considerations associated with traditional surface mining (environmental risk); and economic variables vital to mine operation (economic).

The resultant models result in qualitative suitability (high to low) for each parameter. The prospectivity model created in this study utilizes nickel laterite deposits identified during historical surveying between the 1950s and 1980s. Using these locations for ground-truthing, laterite occurrences are predicted using Landsat 8-9 spectral characteristics and geophysical proxies (magnetic and radiometric channels) for the extent of the ultramafic protolith, soil type, and topography. Typical economic factors impacting traditional laterite mining include distance from roads, electrical infrastructure, and access to population centers. In the Oregon-California region, there are several additional social and environmental variables that may impact the ability of extraction. These modifying factors are dubbed as "environmental risk" and include susceptibility to wildfires, land management policies, critical habitat defined by the Endangered Species Act, and biomass concentrations.