{"id":142758,"date":"2022-09-30T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-483070"},"modified":"2023-07-26T16:41:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T20:41:30","slug":"nasa-usgs-map-minerals-to-understand-earth-makeup-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-usgs-map-minerals-to-understand-earth-makeup-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA, USGS Map Minerals to Understand Earth Makeup, Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A photo of a NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft with the AVIRIS and HyTES instruments installed.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?resize=2000,1500 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">A photo of a NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft with the AVIRIS and HyTES instruments installed <strong>Credits: NASA<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will map portions of the southwest United States for critical minerals using advanced airborne imaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hyperspectral data from hundreds of wavelengths of reflected light can provide new information about Earth\u2019s surface and atmosphere to help scientists understand Earth\u2019s geology and biology, as well as the effects of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research project, called the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), will use NASA\u2019s Airborne Visible\/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) instruments flown on NASA\u2019s ER-2 and Gulfstream V aircraft to collect the measurements over the country\u2019s arid and semi-arid regions, including parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis exciting new project is just one example of the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s commitment to a clean energy future,\u201d said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. \u201cNASA has a long history of Earth observation that shows us how the planet is responding to climate change. This project builds on our 60-year legacy, and can show us where to look for the resources that support our transition to a clean energy economy. With our partners at USGS, NASA has led the way in developing these Earth observation systems to gather information to measure and monitor the environment and climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These new observations record the spectroscopic fingerprints of surface minerals across hundreds of wavelength bands. In other words, these are measurements not only of visible light our eyes can see but also of wavelengths of light beyond the visible into the infrared. The data can be used to identify the presence of a wide variety of minerals including primary rock-forming minerals as well as mineral weathering or alteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project will complement data from NASA\u2019s newest instrument on the International Space Station, the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). EMIT is focused on mapping the mineral dust source composition of Earth\u2019s arid regions to better understand how mineral dust affects heating and cooling of the planet. The instrument also makes spectroscopic measurements of the hundreds of wavelengths of light reflected from materials on Earth. The mission provided its first view of Earth on July 27 and is expected to become fully operational next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The $16 million GEMx research project will last five years and is funded by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, through investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiative will capitalize on both the technology developed by NASA for spectroscopic imaging as well as the expertise in analyzing the datasets and extracting critical mineral information from them. Beyond providing additional detail over the mineral maps made by EMIT, GEMx will provide NASA with critical high-resolution data at regional scales to support development of the Surface Biology and Geology mission, part of NASA\u2019s new Earth System Observatory. The Surface Biology and Geology mission will answer questions about the fluxes of carbon, water, nutrients, and energy within and between ecosystems and the atmosphere, the ocean and Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis exciting scientific effort is made possible through the President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments and will enable NASA and the USGS to leverage our unique capabilities toward a common goal,\u201d said USGS Director David Applegate. \u201cThe data we\u2019re collecting will be foundational for not only critical minerals research but also for a wide range of other scientific applications, from natural hazards mitigation to ecosystem restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1979, NASA started developing spectral imaging systems at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The first system, the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer, led to the development of AVIRIS. NASA and USGS have a long history of collaborating on collecting and analyzing spectroscopic data, including the 17-year <a href=\"https:\/\/eospso.nasa.gov\/missions\/earth-observing-1\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth Observing-1 mission<\/a>, which carried the first Earth orbiting instrument spanning the AVIRIS spectral range, Hyperion. This type of spectroscopic imaging has a long history of use in mineral research. These data are also useful for understanding a variety of other Earth science, ecological, and biological issues including geological acid mine drainage, debris flows, agriculture, wildfires, and biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about NASA\u2019s Earth science programs, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>-end-<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Tylar Greene<br \/>\nHeadquarters, Washington<br \/>\n202-358-0030<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:tylar.j.greene@nasa.gov\">tylar.j.greene@nasa.gov<\/a><br \/>\nAlex Demas<br \/>\nUSGS, Reston, Va.<br \/>\n703-648-4421<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:apdemas@usgs.gov\">apdemas@usgs.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will map portions of the southwest United States for critical minerals using advanced airborne imaging. Hyperspectral data from hundreds of wavelengths of reflected light can provide new information about Earth\u2019s surface and atmosphere to help scientists understand Earth\u2019s geology and biology, as well as the effects of climate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":145668,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"22-101","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"RELEASE","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[]},"categories":[3262,3228,2834],"news-tags":[12374],"internal-terms":[12745,9508],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA, USGS Map Minerals to Understand Earth Makeup, Climate Change","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-usgs-map-minerals-to-understand-earth-makeup-climate-change\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-usgs-map-minerals-to-understand-earth-makeup-climate-change\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg"},"articleSection":"Science & Research","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA"}],"creator":["NASA"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Science & Research","Earth Science","Climate Science","Earth"],"dateCreated":"2022-09-30T20:05:00Z","datePublished":"2022-09-30T20:05:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T20:41:30Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA, USGS Map Minerals to Understand Earth Makeup, Climate Change\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-usgs-map-minerals-to-understand-earth-makeup-climate-change\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-09-30T20:05:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Science & Research\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Science & Research,Earth Science,Climate Science,Earth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"featured_image":{"id":145668,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/high_altitude_aircraft.jpg","title":"high_altitude_aircraft","alt":"A photo of a NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft with the AVIRIS and HyTES instruments installed.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/142758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/142758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165638,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/142758\/revisions\/165638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142758"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=142758"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=142758"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=142758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}