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Advanced Hyperspectral Imaging and AI for Geological Applications

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1373

Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Computer Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: hyperspectral remote sensing for geological environment; digital earth; big data computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Information and Image Analysis Technology, Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, Beijing 100029, China
Interests: hyperspectral remote sensing information processing and application; geologic hazard

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Guest Editor
China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: remote sensing technology and its applications in geoscience
School of Computer Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
Interests: hyperspectral remote sensing images; AI; information extraction; high-resolution remote sensing images; deep learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged as a transformative tool for geological studies, enabling the detailed identification of mineral compositions, surface alterations, and environmental changes. Coupled with artificial intelligence (AI), HSI has unprecedented capabilities for automating and enhancing the interpretation of complex geological features. This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge research and applications of HSI and AI in geology, fostering advancements in resource exploration, hazard monitoring, and sustainable land management.

We welcome contributions that address innovative methodologies, algorithms, and case studies leveraging HSI and AI for geological purposes. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Mineral and resource exploration: The AI-driven detection of ore deposits, alteration zones, and critical minerals.
  • Geohazard monitoring: The identification of landslides, debris flow, subsidence, and earthquake precursors using HSI.
  • Environmental geology: The mapping of soil contamination, weathering processes, and anthropogenic impacts.
  • Sensor and data fusion: The integration of HSI with LiDAR, multispectral, or SAR data for improved geological interpretation.
  • Machine learning/deep learning: Novel algorithms for feature extraction, classification, and anomaly detection in HSI data.
  • Field applications: Case studies demonstrating HSI’s utility in mining, tectonics, or disaster risk reduction.

This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements and practical solutions, providing a platform for researchers to share their insights on how HSI and AI can address pressing geological challenges. Submissions addressing their scalability, validation, and real-world implementation are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Lizhe Wang
Dr. Yingjun Zhao
Dr. Fuping Gan
Dr. Ruyi Feng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hyperspectral imaging
  • artificial intelligence (AI)
  • machine learning
  • mineral mapping
  • ore deposit prediction
  • geological exploration
  • landslide detection
  • environmental geology
  • anomaly detection
  • critical minerals

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 41291 KB  
Article
Unraveling the Spectral–Spatial Mechanisms of Mineral Identification: A Case Study on CASI Data Using SpectralFormer and Traditional Classifiers
by Huilin Yang, Kai Qin, Yuxi Hao, Ming Li, Ling Zhu, Yuechao Yang and Yingjun Zhao
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(9), 1365; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18091365 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 621
Abstract
Traditional diagnostic spectroscopy provides a physically interpretable basis for mineral identification. However, how modern classifiers balance spectral and spatial information remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates this issue using CASI airborne hyperspectral data from the Liuyuan area, China. A geologically constrained ground-truth dataset [...] Read more.
Traditional diagnostic spectroscopy provides a physically interpretable basis for mineral identification. However, how modern classifiers balance spectral and spatial information remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates this issue using CASI airborne hyperspectral data from the Liuyuan area, China. A geologically constrained ground-truth dataset was constructed based on expert knowledge and a semi-automatic Spectral Hourglass workflow. We evaluated representative shallow machine learning methods and deep learning models, including a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN), Vision Transformer (ViT), and SpectralFormer. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) achieved the highest overall accuracy but showed a strong bias toward dominant background classes and failed to reliably detect rare minerals such as jarosite. Deep learning models improved class balance by incorporating broader spectral features. However, excessive spatial aggregation reduced their sensitivity to small and fragmented alteration zones. SpectralFormer models hyperspectral data as ordered spectral sequences and showed more stable performance for spectrally similar and rare minerals. Multi-scale experiments reveal a spectral-dominant discrimination mechanism. Increasing the spectral receptive field improves classification up to an optimal level. In contrast, overly large spatial patches introduce background interference and obscure diagnostic absorption features. These findings highlight the fundamental role of spectral continuity in airborne hyperspectral alteration mineral mapping and clarify the trade-offs involved in integrating spatial context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Hyperspectral Imaging and AI for Geological Applications)
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