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Remote Sensing
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Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration: Current Progress and Future Vision
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Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration: Current Progress and Future Vision

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 January 2026 | Viewed by 3613

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hengqian Zhao

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Guest Editor
College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China
Interests: hyperspectral remote sensing; mineral exploration; spectral analysis
Prof. Dr. Zhifang Zhao

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Guest Editor
School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
Interests: remote sensing geology
Dr. Joana Cardoso-Fernandes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Interests: remote sensing; machine learning algorithms; geological exploration; mineral deposits; Li mineralizations; geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Deshuai Yuan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: hyperspectral images; convolutional neural network; mining

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Remote sensing technology can rapidly, accurately, and non-destructively obtain information regarding the mineralization of surface and underground mineral deposits, becoming an efficient and economical detection method in mineral exploration. In recent years, due to the rapid development of sensor technology, aerospace technology, and computer technology, the spatial resolution, spectral resolution, and time resolution of remote sensing data have been enhanced continuously. Meanwhile, observation platforms are developing towards multi-platforms, including ground, aviation, and aerospace platforms. The successful application of remote sensing technology has been achieved in the field of mineral exploration, covering the identification of lithology, alteration extraction, the identification of fine minerals, and prospective prediction. In particular, hyperspectral remote sensing technology has shown significant advantages in the fine identification of rocks and minerals. With the application of advanced methods such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the capabilities of remote sensing technology in mineral exploration have been significantly enhanced.

This Special Issue will outline the latest advances and trends in remote sensing-based mineral exploration, and contribute to the sustainable development of the global mining industry. We welcome the submission of articles related to this topic, including research based on new advances in laboratory hyperspectral reflectance and research performed using recent and emerging technologies such as hyperspectral imaging and deep learning.

Dr. Hengqian Zhao
Prof. Dr. Zhifang Zhao
Dr. Joana Cardoso-Fernandes
Dr. Deshuai Yuan
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind 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

  • remote sensing
  • mineral exploration
  • multispectral and hyperspectral
  • lithology
  • mineralization
  • deep learning

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 6356 KB  
Article
Tectonic Rift-Related Manganese Mineralization System and Its Geophysical Signature in the Nanpanjiang Basin
by Daman Cui, Zhifang Zhao, Wenlong Liu, Haiying Yang, Yun Liu, Jianliang Liu and Baowen Shi
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(15), 2702; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17152702 - 4 Aug 2025
Viewed by 517
Abstract
The southeastern Yunnan region in the southwestern Nanpanjiang Basin is one of the most important manganese enrichment zones in China. Manganese mineralization is mainly confined to marine mud–sand–carbonate interbeds of the Middle Triassic Ladinian Falang Formation (T2f), which contains several [...] Read more.
The southeastern Yunnan region in the southwestern Nanpanjiang Basin is one of the most important manganese enrichment zones in China. Manganese mineralization is mainly confined to marine mud–sand–carbonate interbeds of the Middle Triassic Ladinian Falang Formation (T2f), which contains several medium to large deposits such as Dounan, Baixian, and Yanzijiao. However, the geological processes that control manganese mineralization in this region remain insufficiently understood. Understanding the tectonic evolution of the basin is therefore essential to unravel the mechanisms of Middle Triassic metallogenesis. This study investigates how rift-related tectonic activity influences manganese ore formation. This study integrates global gravity and magnetic field models (WGM2012, EMAG2v3), audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) profiles, and regional geological data to investigate ore-controlling structures. A distinct gravity low–magnetic high belt is delineated along the basin axis, indicating lithospheric thinning and enhanced mantle-derived heat flow. Structural interpretation reveals a rift system with a checkerboard pattern formed by intersecting NE-trending major faults and NW-trending secondary faults. Four hydrothermal plume centers are identified at these fault intersections. AMT profiles show that manganese ore bodies correspond to stable low-resistivity zones, suggesting fluid-rich, hydrothermally altered horizons. These findings demonstrate a strong spatial coupling between hydrothermal activity and mineralization. This study provides the first identification of the internal rift architecture within the Nanpanjiang Basin. The basin-scale rift–graben system exerts first-order control on sedimentation and manganese metallogenesis, supporting a trinity model of tectonic control, hydrothermal fluid transport, and sedimentary enrichment. These insights not only improve our understanding of rift-related manganese formation in southeastern Yunnan but also offer a methodological framework applicable to similar rift basins worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration: Current Progress and Future Vision)
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23 pages, 8890 KB  
Article
Alteration Information Extraction and Mineral Prospectivity Mapping in the Laozhaiwan Area Using Multisource Remote Sensing Data
by Qi Chen, Dayu Cai, Zhifang Zhao, Xiaoguang Yang, Yilong Wang, Xiao Jiang, Lei Xu, Haichuan Duan, Yang He, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Yiyang Wang and Ting Xu
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(13), 2178; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17132178 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 998
Abstract
Gold is a vital strategic resource for many countries. The Laozhaiwan area is an important gold resource base in Yunnan Province and even nationwide. Conducting mineral resource exploration in this region to increase gold reserves is of great significance. The application of remote [...] Read more.
Gold is a vital strategic resource for many countries. The Laozhaiwan area is an important gold resource base in Yunnan Province and even nationwide. Conducting mineral resource exploration in this region to increase gold reserves is of great significance. The application of remote sensing technology in mineral resource exploration is a green and efficient technical approach, which has been widely utilized in the field of mineral resource prospecting. This study selects the Laozhaiwan area in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province as the research region. Linear and ring structures were extracted using the remote sensing visual interpretation method based on Sentinel-2A multispectral data. Additionally, Sentinel-2A, ASTER, and ZY1-02D data were used to extract iron-stained, hydroxyl, silicification, and limonite alteration information through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) methods. Additionally, 50 linear structures and 12 ring structures were extracted. A comprehensive analysis of geological data reveals that alteration minerals and linear-ring structures are closely related to mineralization, providing valuable indicators for mineral resource exploration. By comprehensively analyzing the alteration information and remote sensing interpretation results of the linear-ring structures, two prospective areas for mineral exploration were delineated. Field investigations and petrographic studies confirmed the reliability of remote sensing technology in mineral exploration. The mineral exploration method based on multi-source remote sensing technology can clearly reflect various alteration information and linear-ring structural data. It provides remote sensing geological insights for geological survey work and has great application potential in the field of mineral resource exploration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration: Current Progress and Future Vision)
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Review

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34 pages, 4933 KB  
Review
Current Progress in and Future Visions of Key Technologies of UAV-Borne Multi-Modal Geophysical Exploration for Mineral Exploration: A Scoping Review
by Xin Wu, Guo-Qiang Xue, Yan-Bo Wang and Song Cui
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(15), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17152689 - 3 Aug 2025
Viewed by 849
Abstract
For mineral exploration, an increasing number of geophysical instruments have adopted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as their carrier platforms. The effective fusion of multi-modal geophysical information will be conducive to further enhancing the reliability of exploration results. However, the integration degree of UAVs [...] Read more.
For mineral exploration, an increasing number of geophysical instruments have adopted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as their carrier platforms. The effective fusion of multi-modal geophysical information will be conducive to further enhancing the reliability of exploration results. However, the integration degree of UAVs and geophysical equipment is still low, and the advantages of UAVs as robots have not been fully exploited. In addition, the existing fusion methods are still difficult to use to establish the spatial distribution model of ore-bearing rock. Therefore, we reviewed the development status of UAVs and the geophysical instruments. We believe that only by integrating the system, designing the observation plan in accordance with the requirements of the fusion method, and treating the hardware part as an external extension of the algorithm, can high-matching data be provided for fusion. Subsequently, we analyzed the progress of the fusion methods, leading us to believe that the cross-dimensional and cross-abstract-level issues are major challenges in the algorithm aspect. Meanwhile, the fusion should be carried out simultaneously with the generation of the ore-bearing rock model, that is, to establish an integrated system of fusion and generation. It is hoped that this research can promote the development of UAV-borne multi-modal observation technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration: Current Progress and Future Vision)
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