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Bernard E. Hubbard

Bernard Hubbard is a Research Geologist for the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.

Science and Products

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Carnotite with Finchite, Southern High Plains of Texas

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...
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Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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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...
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Hyperspectral Imaging to Delineate Critical Minerals Project

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...
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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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...
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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 s
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Corescan 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 the
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

GIS 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 Mappi
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)

Imaging spectrometer reflectance data, mineral predominance map, and white mica wavelength position map, Nabesna Quadrangle, Alaska

Approximately 1,900 square kilometers of imagery were collected from July 14 to July 21, 2014 using a HyMap sensor (Cocks and others, 1998) mounted on a modified Piper Navajo aircraft. The survey area covered parts of the Wrangell and Nutzotin Mountains in the eastern Alaska Range near Nabesna, Alaska. The aircraft was flown at an altitude of approximately 5,050 meters (m) (3,480 m above the mean
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Linear 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
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Visible, Near Infrared, Shortwave Infrared and Thermal Infrared Laboratory Spectra of Samples of Compositionally Variable Dune Fields in the Western United States and Alaska

This data represents laboratory reflectance and emissivity spectral measurements of dune sand samples collected from a variety of dune types and mineralogical compositions from eight dune field locations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico (labeled and designated as samples DS-1 through DS-8). Each sample were sieved into various size classes and measured both pr
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
Filter Total Items: 24

Hyperspectral (VNIR-SWIR) analysis of roll front uranium host rocks and industrial minerals from Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas Coastal Plain

VNIR-SWIR (400–2500 nm) reflectance measurements were made on the surfaces of various cores, cuttings and sample splits of sedimentary rocks from the Tertiary Jackson Group, and Catahoula, Oakville and Goliad Formations. These rocks vary in composition and texture from mudstone and claystone to sandstone and are known host rocks for roll front uranium occurrences in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, T

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Bernard E. Hubbard, Tanya J. Gallegos, Victoria G. Stengel, Todd M. Hoefen, Raymond F. Kokaly, Brent Elliott
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Water Resources Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Spectroscopy Lab

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 to
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Bernard E. Hubbard, Tanya J. Gallegos, Victoria G. Stengel
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Water Resources Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Linear 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 min
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Donald M. Hooper, Bernard E. Hubbard
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Geochemistry 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 G
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Helen A. Whitney, Federico Solano, Bernard E. Hubbard
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Application 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 b
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Garth E. Graham, Raymond F. Kokaly, Karen D. Kelley, Todd M. Hoefen, Michaela Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Determining 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 w
Authors
Bernard E. Hubbard, Donald M. Hooper, Federico Solano, John C. Mars
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Multiscale 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 mine
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Raymond F. Kokaly, Garth E. Graham, Todd M. Hoefen, Karen D. Kelley, Michaela R. Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard, M. Buchhorn, A. Prakash
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Spectroscopy Lab

Hyperspectral 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 ra
Authors
Raymond F. Kokaly, Garth E. Graham, Todd M. Hoefen, Karen D. Kelley, Michaela R. Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Spectroscopy Lab

Geochemical 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 intense
Authors
Nora K. Foley, Carleton R. Bern, Robert A. Ayuso, Bernard E. Hubbard, Anjana K. Shah
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Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Geospatial 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 diffraction
Authors
Michaela R. Johnson, Garth E. Graham, Bernard E. Hubbard, William Benzel
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Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Alteration, 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 cr
Authors
John C. Mars, Bernard E. Hubbard, David Pieri, Justin Linick
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Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Assessment 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 repr
Authors
Karine M. Renaud, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Bernard E. Hubbard
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Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, International Programs
USGS invests in geologic mapping, landslide hazard research throughout Puerto Rico

USGS invests in geologic mapping, landslide hazard research throughout Puerto Rico

RESTON, Va. – The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently invested in a geologic mapping project throughout Puerto Rico using airborne hyperspectral...

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Geoscience for Everyone Day-Interview with Dr. Bernard Hubbard

Geoscience for Everyone Day-Interview with Dr. Bernard Hubbard

On Geosciences for Everyone Day, we wanted to introduce one of our leading remote sensing specialists, Dr. Bernard Hubbard. Dr. Hubbard analyzes rocks...

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Using Remote Sensing to Turn Trash into Treasure

Using Remote Sensing to Turn Trash into Treasure

There’s an old saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. At the USGS, we’re taking another look at old mine waste and tailings to see if...

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Science and Products