Evaluating impacts of imaging spectrometer calibration on mineral identification and mapping using airborne data collections in Alaska, USA, and Khandahar, Afghanistan

Accurate mineral identification and mapping using airborne imaging spectrometer data are significantly hindered by calibration inaccuracies, particularly in variables such as wavelength position, bandpass, radiometric accuracy, and atmospheric correction. A study using HyMap data from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, demonstrated that even minor discrepancies in these parameters can reduce the ability to distinguish between critical minerals like carbonates, serpentines, chlorites, and amphiboles. The research also highlighted challenges in atmospherically correcting data over steep terrains at high latitudes, comparing a simple correction method with one accounting for pixel-by-pixel variations in elevation and sensor geometry. This work underscores the importance of precise calibration to ensure reliable mineral mapping, particularly in complex geological environments like those found in Alaska's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Kokaly, R. F. (2016). Evaluating impacts of imaging spectrometer calibration on mineral identification and mapping using airborne data collections in Alaska, USA, and Khandahar, Afghanistan. 2016 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 1931–1934. https://doi.org/10.1109/igarss.2016.7729497