Images

A map of the airborne geophysical survey area in the Medicine Mountains region of Wyoming

Maps showing parts of 23 mineral systems that could host critical mineral resources in the United States.  These areas are used to prioritize data collection and analysis by Earth MRI.

A view of the Boulder Mountains from US-12 west of Helena. These mountains lie at the north end of the Boulder Batholith.

NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) welcome the community to a series of Space Economy Workshops intended to coordinate the development of new technologies to detect and assess off-world mineral resources, as well as to discuss the challenges and opportunities for an off-world mineral resource economy. 

A typical survey airplane. The magnetic sensor is placed in an extension on the back of the airplane to reduce the impact of the airplane’s own magnetic field. 

Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the US

This map shows the airborne geophysical survey area and planned flight paths across the Illinois River Basin in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Surveys will not occur directly above populated areas. Planned flight lines and survey progress can be found online. 

(USGS map) 

Geologic map overlaid on topography for the Mountain Pass region in California.

The anomaly at Pennington Mountain is visible in the geophysical data collected in aerial surveys conducted in 2021.

A fine-grained volcanic rock (trachyte) that hosts rare earth elements, niobium, and zirconium, all which are considered critical mineral resources. This rock was found on Pennington Mountain in Maine. Image courtesy of Chunzeng Wang, University of Maine-Presque Isle.

A Piper Navajo fixed-wing aircraft with rear facing stinger magnetometer. Credit: New-Sense Geophysics Limited 

USGS NIC UASRC Saucer Shark equipment marker showing the Saucer flying over trees, with a ‘I WANT TO BELIEVE’ phrase below it. ​

An AS350 helicopter with forward facing stinger magnetometer. Credit: New-Sense Geophysics Limited 

A helicopter with a boom that contains sensitive equipment for conducting airborne geophysical surveys.

Airborne geophysical surveys make use of a boom with sensitive equipment installed on small aircraft.

Survey area for low-flying helicopter soon to be visible in six Montana counties, including Helena, the Elkhorn Mountains, Bull Mountain and the Tobacco Root Mountains.

Helicopter conducting low-level flights. Image courtesy Sander Geophysics Ltd.

Geologists in the field at Pennington Mountain. The orange instrument is a portable gamma spectrometer. University of Maine-Presque Isle professor Chunzeng Wang (the lead author) is in front, Preston Bass is carrying the meter.

Open pit rare earth element mine at Mountain Pass, California. Stepped sides of the pit and access for mining vehicles are shown.

Open pit rare earth element mine at Mountain Pass, California. Stepped sides of the pit and access for mining vehicles are shown.

A helicopter rigged with an airborne geophysical survey collecting equipment. Information collected during these surveys can help with studying critical mineral resources, natural hazards and groundwater potential. A cow is here too.