GIS--The bedrock of geologic mapping
Chirico, P.G., 1997, GIS--The bedrock of geologic mapping: Geo Info Systems, v. 7, no. 10, p. 26-31.
Peter George Chirico
Pete Chirico is the Associate Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center in Reston, VA. He also leads the USGS Special Studies project as a research scientist focused on terrain analysis and geomorphological mapping.
Biography
Pete Chirico is the Associate Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center in Reston, VA. In over 20 years at USGS, he has focused his research on the geography and geomorphology of illicit small-scale mining of diamonds and mineral deposits in conflict zones and during complex emergencies. He has worked extensively with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and the Kimberley Process to understand how diamonds and other natural resource exploitation contribute to funding conflicts. While his regional expertise is Sub-Saharan Africa, he has led or been a member of more than 30 field expeditions throughout Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa. He is author or co-author of over 50 peer reviewed scientific reports and journal articles in the fields of geography, geomorphology, remote sensing, and natural resources in conflict zones. Pete also serves as scientific and technical advisor to the Office of Threat Finance Countermeasures in the Department of State's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
ResearchGate Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Chirico
Science and Products
Date published: January 31, 2019
Status: Active Special Geologic Studies: Artisanal and small-scale mining of conflict minerals
This project focuses on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of minerals and gemstones globally and the illegal mining and transport of these natural resources. Project scientists employ field mapping, geomorphological techniques, and remote sensing to map, monitor, and evaluate mineral deposits and ASM activities in conflict zones and during complex emergencies. The research is directly...
Contacts: Peter George Chirico
Year Published: 2020
Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results
Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) is an endangered plant species found in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as in other locations throughout the southeastern United States. The narrow range of habitat characteristics for areas in which harperella has been found makes locating potential occurrence sites difficult and...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; O'Pry, Kelsey L.; Chirico, Peter G.; Young, John A.Attribution: Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
View Citation
DeWitt, J.D., O’Pry, K.L., Chirico, P.G., and Young, J.A., 2020, Investigation of suitable habitat for the endangered plant Ptilimnium nodosum (Rose) Mathias (harperella) using remote sensing and field analysis—Documentation of methods and results: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1088, 59 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201088.
Year Published: 2020
Evaluating elevation change thresholds between structure-from-motion DEMs derived from historical aerial photos and 3DEP LiDAR data
This study created digital terrain models (DTMs) from historical aerial images using Structure from Motion (SfM) for a variety of image dates, resolutions, and photo scales. Accuracy assessments were performed on the SfM DTMs, and they were compared to the United States Geological Survey’s three-dimensional digital elevation program (3DEP) light...
Chirico, Peter G.; DeWitt, Jessica D.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.Attribution: Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Year Published: 2020
Geomorphological mapping and anthropogenic landform change in an urbanizing watershed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry and geospatial modeling techniques
Increasing urbanization and suburban growth in cities globally has highlighted the importance of land planning using detailed geomorphologic maps that depict anthropogenic landform changes. Such mapping provides information crucial for land management, hazard identification, and the management of the challenges arising from urbanization. The...
Chirico, Peter G.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.; DeWitt, Jessica D.; Alessi, Marissa Ann
Year Published: 2020
Mapping the extent and methods of small-scale emerald mining in the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan
Emerald mining in the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan, has occurred for thousands of years, yet few records exist documenting the detailed spatial extent, techniques, or productivity of small-scale miners. This study proposes new methods to map and monitor the extent and changes in small-scale mining in remote and inaccessible terrain by integrating...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; Chirico, Peter G.; O'Pry, Kelsey L.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.Attribution: Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Year Published: 2018
The Central African Republic Diamond Database—A geodatabase of archival diamond occurrences and areas of recent artisanal and small-scale diamond mining
The alluvial diamond deposits of the Central African Republic (CAR) are mined almost exclusively by way of informal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) methods. ASM sites range in diameter from a few meters to 30 meters or more, and are typically excavated by crews of diggers using hand tools, sieves, and jigs. CAR’s reported annual production...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; Chirico, Peter G.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.; Clark, Inga E.View Citation
DeWitt, J.D., Chirico, P.G., Bergstresser, S.E., and Clark, I.E., 2018, The Central African Republic Diamond Database—A geodatabase of archival diamond occurrences and areas of recent artisanal and small-scale diamond mining: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1088, 28 p., 1 pl., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181088.
Year Published: 2017
Multi-scale 46-year remote sensing change detection of diamond mining and land cover in a conflict and post-conflict setting
The town of Tortiya was created in the rural northern region of Côte d′Ivoire in the late 1940s to house workers for a new diamond mine. Nearly three decades later, the closure of the industrial-scale diamond mine in 1975 did not diminish the importance of diamond profits to the region's economy, and resulted in the growth of artisanal and small-...
Dewitt, Jessica D.; Chirico, Peter G.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.; Warner, Timothy A.View Citation
DeWitt, Jessica D., Chirico, Peter G., Bergstresser, Sarah E., and Timothy A. Warner, 2017, Multi-scale 46-year remote sensing change detection of diamond mining and land cover in a conflict and post-conflict setting, Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 8, 126-139.
Year Published: 2017
Mapping informal small-scale mining features in a data-sparse tropical environment with a small UAS
This study evaluates the use of a small unmanned aerial system (UAS) to collect imagery over artisanal mining sites in West Africa. The purpose of this study is to consider how very high-resolution imagery and digital surface models (DSMs) derived from structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques from a small UAS can fill the gap in...
Chirico, Peter G.; Dewitt, Jessica D.
Year Published: 2017
Creating high-resolution bare-earth digital elevation models (DEMs) from stereo imagery in an area of densely vegetated deciduous forest using combinations of procedures designed for lidar point cloud filtering
For areas of the world that do not have access to lidar, fine-scale digital elevation models (DEMs) can be photogrammetrically created using globally available high-spatial resolution stereo satellite imagery. The resultant DEM is best termed a digital surface model (DSM) because it includes heights of surface features. In densely vegetated...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; Warner, Timothy A.; Chirico, Peter G.; Bergstresser, Sarah E.View Citation
Jessica D. DeWitt, Timothy A. Warner, Peter G. Chirico & Sarah E.Bergstresser (2017) Creating high-resolution bare-earth digital elevation models (DEMs) fromstereo imagery in an area of densely vegetated deciduous forest using combinations of proceduresdesigned for lidar point cloud filtering, GIScience & Remote Sensing, 54:4, 552-572
Year Published: 2015
Topographic and Hydrographic GIS Datasets for the Afghanistan Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey 2014 Mineral Areas of Interest
Mineral extraction and associated industries play an important role in the Afghan economy, particularly in the “transitional era” of declining foreign aid and withdrawal of foreign troops post 2014. In addition to providing a substantial source of government revenue, other potential benefits of natural resource development include...
DeWitt, Jessica D.; Chirico, Peter G.; Malpeli, Katherine C.View Citation
DeWitt, J.D., Chirico, P.G., and Malpeli, K.C., 2015, Topographic and hydrographic GIS datasets for the Afghanistan Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey 2014 mineral areas of interest: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015−1181, 27 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151181.
Year Published: 2015
Testing a small UAS for mapping artisanal diamond mining sites in Africa
Remote sensing technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. At the forefront of the new technological developments are unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The advent of small, lightweight, low-cost, and user-friendly UAS is greatly expanding the potential applications of remote sensing technology and improving the set of tools available to...
Malpeli, Katherine C.; Chirico, Peter G.
Year Published: 2014
A sub-national scale geospatial analysis of diamond deposit lootability: the case of the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR), a country with rich diamond deposits and a tumultuous political history, experienced a government takeover by the Seleka rebel coalition in 2013. It is within this context that we developed and implemented a geospatial approach for assessing the lootability of high value-to-weight resource deposits, using the...
Malpeli, Katherine C.; Chirico, Peter G.
Year Published: 2014
The role of conflict minerals, artisanal mining, and informal trading networks in African intrastate and regional conflicts
The relationship between natural resources and armed conflict gained public and political attention in the 1990s, when it became evident that the mining and trading of diamonds were connected with brutal rebellions in several African nations. Easily extracted resources such as alluvial diamonds and gold have been and continue to be exploited by...
Chirico, Peter G.; Malpeli, Katherine C.