Geological investigations with high spatial resolution WV-3 satellite imagery and regional geophysics at the Haib Cu porphyry, Namibia

Abstract

Summary Recent improvements in available multi-spectral satelliteborne shortwave infrared sensors and their spatial resolution opens up the opportunity for furthering surface mineralogy mapping. Their image interpretation can be augmented with regional geophysics, e.g. subsurface structural information via magnetics or fine tuning the interpretation of mineral chemistry using radioelement data. The new higher spatial resolution satellite WorldView-3 sensor is compared in this study with the ASTER satellite imagery over the Haib copper prospect in southern Namibia using published geology and airborne hyperspectral imagery control. The results show an improvement using higher spatial resolution combined with improvements in SWIR imagery for the mapping of different AlOH clays, potentially related phyllic and argillic alteration that may be associated with structurally controlled alteration and mineralisation.