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GEMx

NASA and the USGS have embarked on a multi-year survey to map critical minerals in the Western US

Active Mission

The Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx) is a joint effort between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to advance our knowledge of critical mineral resources in the Western United States.

Mission FocuS Area

Western United States

Mission Dates

2023-2027

Mission Type

Airborne hyperspectral and multispectral sensors covering visible to longwave infrared

Objective

Map surface minerals using airborne remote sensing

Findings from the field

NASA Flights Map Critical Minerals From Skies Above Western US

Technology used to chart other worlds is revealing minerals in the American West that are critical to the country’s renewable energy future.

In the photo foreground is exposed bedrock at Black Rock Point, which is an area used for validation of mineral maps. In the photo background, the bright white areas are flat desert micro-playas used for reflectance validation.

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, validation area for satellite and airborne imaging spectrometer data.

Raymond Kokaly, USGS

Featured Story

NASA Maps Minerals and Ecosystem Function in Southwest U.S. Regions

In September 2023, NASA aircraft began supporting an effort to find and map critical mineral deposits in Western regions of…