Bernard Hubbard is a Research Geologist for the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Science and Products
Remote Sensing Techniques for Characterizing Energy Resources in Waste
New Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging to Delineate Critical Minerals Concentrated in Regolith and Mine Waste Materials
Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) and Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Spectra of Select Rock Cores and Waste Material from Nine Uranium Mine Sites in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas
Corescan Hyperspectral Core Imager, Mark III system data collected for the characterization of mineral resources near Nabesna, Alaska, 2014-2016
GIS and Data Tables for Focus Areas for Potential Domestic Nonfuel Sources of Rare Earth Elements
Linear Deconvolution Mineral Maps of Compositionally Variable Dune Fields in the Western United States and Alaska
Mapping abandoned uranium mine features using Worldview-3 imagery in portions of Karnes, Atascosa and Live Oak Counties, Texas
Linear deconvolution applied to ASTER imagery of terrestrial dune analog sites
Geochemistry and mineralogy of soils collected in the lower Rio Grande valley, Texas
Application of imaging spectroscopy for mineral exploration in Alaska: A study over porphyry Cu deposits in the eastern Alaska Range
Determining mineralogical variations of aeolian deposits using thermal infrared emissivity and linear deconvolution methods
Multiscale hyperspectral imaging of the Orange Hill Porphyry Copper Deposit, Alaska, USA, with laboratory-, field-, and aircraft-based imaging spectrometers
Hyperspectral surveying for mineral resources in Alaska
Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States
Geospatial compilation of results from field sample collection in support of mineral resource investigations, Western Alaska Range, Alaska, July 2013
Alteration, slope-classified alteration, and potential lahar inundation maps of volcanoes for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Volcano Archive
Assessment of bauxite, clay, and laterite deposits in Afghanistan
A comprehensive population dataset for Afghanistan constructed using GIS-based dasymetric mapping methods
This report summarizes the application of dasymetric methods for mapping the distribution of population throughout Afghanistan. Because Afghanistan's population has constantly changed through decades of war and conflict, existing vector and raster GIS datasets (such as point settlement densities and intensities of lights at night) do not adequately reflect the changes. The purposes of this report
Science and Products
- Science
Remote Sensing Techniques for Characterizing Energy Resources in Waste
Funded by the USGS Energy Resource Program “Shark Tank” grant. The goal of this project is to develop a method to use remotely collected satellite and airborne data to ascertain the quantity and quality of waste at abandoned uranium mines to better estimate the resource potential, identify abandoned mines and explore potential applications to other energy resources. This is a collaborative effort...New Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging to Delineate Critical Minerals Concentrated in Regolith and Mine Waste Materials
Our project will develop new and innovative spectral methods and remote sensing tools for understanding how critical minerals are concentrated by weathering, regolith/soil formation, mining, runoff and ore processing. These tools will help us to use mineralogy derived from spectral measurements (lab, field, and remote sensing) to help delineate vectors towards recoverable resources and to identify... - Data
Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) and Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Spectra of Select Rock Cores and Waste Material from Nine Uranium Mine Sites in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas
These data represent laboratory reflectance measurements conducted on a suite of sandstone, tuffaceous mudstone and claystone rocks and sediment, which are known host and source materials for roll front Uranium deposits mined throughout the South Texas Coastal Plains. Visible through Near Infrared through Shortwave Infrared (~0.4 - 2.5 microns) reflectance were measured using an artificial light sCorescan Hyperspectral Core Imager, Mark III system data collected for the characterization of mineral resources near Nabesna, Alaska, 2014-2016
Corescan Hyperspectral Core Imager Mark III (HCI-III) system data were acquired for hand samples, and subsequent billets made from the hand samples, collected during the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2014, 2015, and 2016 field seasons in the Nabesna area of the eastern Alaska Range. This area contains exposed porphyry deposits and hand samples were collected throughout the region in support of theGIS and Data Tables for Focus Areas for Potential Domestic Nonfuel Sources of Rare Earth Elements
In response to Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify 35 nonfuel minerals or mineral materials considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States (U.S.). Acquiring information on possible domestic sources of these critical minerals is the basis of the USGS Earth MappiLinear Deconvolution Mineral Maps of Compositionally Variable Dune Fields in the Western United States and Alaska
These geotiffs represent the raster GIS outputs of Linear Deconvolution (Linear Spectral Unmixing) analysis of ASTER image pixels covering various sand dune and sand sheet fields throughout the Western United States and Alaska. The accompanying sets of zip file contains linear deconvolution derived mineral fractional abundance maps for various 2-, 3-, 4,- and 5-component mixture models of various - Publications
Filter Total Items: 23
Mapping abandoned uranium mine features using Worldview-3 imagery in portions of Karnes, Atascosa and Live Oak Counties, Texas
Worldview-3 (WV3) 16-band multispectral data were used to map exposed bedrock and mine waste piles associated with legacy open-pit mining of sandstone-hosted roll-front uranium deposits along the South Texas Coastal Plain. We used the “spectral hourglass” approach to extract spectral endmembers representative of these features from the image. This approach first requires calibrating the imagery toAuthorsBernard E. Hubbard, Tanya J. Gallegos, Victoria G. StengelLinear deconvolution applied to ASTER imagery of terrestrial dune analog sites
Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflec-tion (ASTER) radiometer onboard NASA’s Terra satellite has nearly complete global coverage in the 8 – 14 µm thermal infrared (TIR) atmospheric window and is the highest resolution sensor providing TIR emissivity data at 90-m spatial resolution and five multispectral bands. ASTER imagery enables mapping of spatial variations in the distribution of minAuthorsDonald M. Hooper, Bernard E. HubbardGeochemistry and mineralogy of soils collected in the lower Rio Grande valley, Texas
Presented in this report are the chemical and mineralogical results of a soil study conducted in the lower Rio Grande valley, Texas. Samples were collected from soils formed on Holocene alluvial flood-plain and distributary channel deposits of the Rio Grande, flood plain and meander-belt deposits of the Pliocene Goliad Formation, and the Pleistocene Lissie and Beaumont Formations. The lower Rio GAuthorsHelen A. Whitney, Federico Solano, Bernard E. HubbardApplication of imaging spectroscopy for mineral exploration in Alaska: A study over porphyry Cu deposits in the eastern Alaska Range
The U.S. Geological Survey tested the utility of imaging spectroscopy (also referred to as hyperspectral remote sensing) as an aid to regional mineral exploration efforts in remote parts of Alaska. Airborne imaging spectrometer data were collected in 2014 over unmined porphyry Cu deposits in the eastern Alaska Range using the HyMap™ sensor. Maps of the distributions of predominant minerals, made bAuthorsGarth E. Graham, Raymond F. Kokaly, Karen D. Kelley, Todd M. Hoefen, Michaela Johnson, Bernard E. HubbardDetermining mineralogical variations of aeolian deposits using thermal infrared emissivity and linear deconvolution methods
We apply linear deconvolution methods to derive mineral and glass proportions for eight field sample training sites at seven dune fields: (1) Algodones, California; (2) Big Dune, Nevada; (3) Bruneau, Idaho; (4) Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Alaska; (5) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado; (6) Sunset Crater, Arizona; and (7) White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. These dune fields wAuthorsBernard E. Hubbard, Donald M. Hooper, Federico Solano, John C. MarsMultiscale hyperspectral imaging of the Orange Hill Porphyry Copper Deposit, Alaska, USA, with laboratory-, field-, and aircraft-based imaging spectrometers
In the past decade, use of hyperspectral imaging (imaging spectroscopy) for mineral exploration and mining operations has been increasing at different spatial scales. In this paper, we focus on recent trends in applying imaging spectrometer data to: 1) airborne imaging of high latitude deposits, 2) field-based imaging of outcrops, and 3) laboratory-level imaging of geologic samples. Comparing mineAuthorsRaymond F. Kokaly, Garth E. Graham, Todd M. Hoefen, Karen D. Kelley, Michaela R. Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard, M. Buchhorn, A. PrakashHyperspectral surveying for mineral resources in Alaska
Alaska is a major producer of base and precious metals and has a high potential for additional undiscovered mineral resources. However, discovery is hindered by Alaska’s vast size, remoteness, and rugged terrain. New methods are needed to overcome these obstacles in order to fully evaluate Alaska’s geology and mineral resource potential. Hyperspectral surveying is one method that can be used to raAuthorsRaymond F. Kokaly, Garth E. Graham, Todd M. Hoefen, Karen D. Kelley, Michaela R. Johnson, Bernard E. HubbardGeochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States
Rare earth element (REE) ion-adsorption clay deposits are of global economic importance because they currently supply a significant portion of the world’s annual production of both light (LREE) and heavy REE (HREE). There is considerable ambiguity regarding the origin of this deposit type: The main criteria include the presence of large, generally granitic, igneous suites; long periods of intenseAuthorsNora K. Foley, Carleton R. Bern, Robert A. Ayuso, Bernard E. Hubbard, Anjana K. ShahGeospatial compilation of results from field sample collection in support of mineral resource investigations, Western Alaska Range, Alaska, July 2013
This Data Series summarizes results from July 2013 sampling in the western Alaska Range near Mount Estelle, Alaska. The fieldwork combined in situ and camp-based spectral measurements of talus/soil and rock samples. Five rock and 48 soil samples were submitted for quantitative geochemical analysis (for 55 major and trace elements), and the 48 soils samples were also analyzed by x-ray diffractionAuthorsMichaela R. Johnson, Garth E. Graham, Bernard E. Hubbard, William BenzelAlteration, slope-classified alteration, and potential lahar inundation maps of volcanoes for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Volcano Archive
This study identifies areas prone to lahars from hydrothermally altered volcanic edifices on a global scale, using visible and near infrared (VNIR) and short wavelength infrared (SWIR) reflectance data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and digital elevation data from the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) dataset. This is the first study to crAuthorsJohn C. Mars, Bernard E. Hubbard, David Pieri, Justin LinickAssessment of bauxite, clay, and laterite deposits in Afghanistan
Bauxite-bearing rocks are present in several regions of Afghanistan; specifically, the southeast segment of the North Afghanistan Platform, the eastern parts of South Afghanistan, and within the Afghanistan-North and -South Pamir Fold Regions. Bauxite-bearing rocks occur at various stratigraphic levels, in lithologically different sequences of sedimentary rocks. The bauxites are paleosols and reprAuthorsKarine M. Renaud, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Bernard E. HubbardA comprehensive population dataset for Afghanistan constructed using GIS-based dasymetric mapping methods
This report summarizes the application of dasymetric methods for mapping the distribution of population throughout Afghanistan. Because Afghanistan's population has constantly changed through decades of war and conflict, existing vector and raster GIS datasets (such as point settlement densities and intensities of lights at night) do not adequately reflect the changes. The purposes of this report
AuthorsAllyson L. Thompson, Bernard E. Hubbard - News