Radiometric data collected from an uncrewed airborne system at mine waste sites in New Mexico, 2024
Radiometric data (gamma ray spectrometry) were collected via a small uncrewed airborne system (sUAS) in June 2024 to characterize four distinct mine waste features in Southwestern New Mexico. Survey sites and their respective areas covered include: the Blackhawk mine dump (~1200 m^2) and the Alhambra mine dump (21,000 m^2), both located in the Blackhawk Mining District, and the low-grade stock piles (2100 m^2) and the tailings (108,000 m^2) at the Copper Flat Mine. These data were collected in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), which aims to improve knowledge of the geologic framework of the United States through new geological and geophysical mapping and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain critical mineral resources. Data were acquired with the Medusa MS-350 radiometric sensor mounted on a PRISM Lite sUAS. Precise horizontal and vertical positions were obtained using an Emlid M2 differential GPS system. The nominal flying height for the surveys was 1-3 m; any data collected at heights above 3 m were removed in the final processing, but remain in the raw data products. Data were processed to produce maps of Potassium (K), estimated Thorium (eTh), and estimated Uranium (eU). This website contains the raw radiometric data with spectra collected over each site in ASCII format ("_raw_spectra".csv) and processed radiometric data collected over each site in ASCII format ("_processed.csv") The raw data includes all data collected during the sUAS flight duration. The processed data only include data that went into creating the final maps. This website additionally provides GeoTIFF datasets representing K, eTh, and eU distributions for each site, as well as corresponding .xyz files that specify the grid’s X and Y coordinates along with the associated K, eTh, and eU concentration values.
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Complete Metadata
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|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| bureauCode |
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| contactPoint |
{
"fn": "Chloe D Gustafson",
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|
| description | Radiometric data (gamma ray spectrometry) were collected via a small uncrewed airborne system (sUAS) in June 2024 to characterize four distinct mine waste features in Southwestern New Mexico. Survey sites and their respective areas covered include: the Blackhawk mine dump (~1200 m^2) and the Alhambra mine dump (21,000 m^2), both located in the Blackhawk Mining District, and the low-grade stock piles (2100 m^2) and the tailings (108,000 m^2) at the Copper Flat Mine. These data were collected in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), which aims to improve knowledge of the geologic framework of the United States through new geological and geophysical mapping and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain critical mineral resources. Data were acquired with the Medusa MS-350 radiometric sensor mounted on a PRISM Lite sUAS. Precise horizontal and vertical positions were obtained using an Emlid M2 differential GPS system. The nominal flying height for the surveys was 1-3 m; any data collected at heights above 3 m were removed in the final processing, but remain in the raw data products. Data were processed to produce maps of Potassium (K), estimated Thorium (eTh), and estimated Uranium (eU). This website contains the raw radiometric data with spectra collected over each site in ASCII format ("_raw_spectra".csv) and processed radiometric data collected over each site in ASCII format ("_processed.csv") The raw data includes all data collected during the sUAS flight duration. The processed data only include data that went into creating the final maps. This website additionally provides GeoTIFF datasets representing K, eTh, and eU distributions for each site, as well as corresponding .xyz files that specify the grid’s X and Y coordinates along with the associated K, eTh, and eU concentration values. |
| distribution |
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| identifier | http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/USGS_6941bc20d4be0266e9e22e9e |
| keyword |
[
"Blackhawk mining district",
"Earth Mapping Resources Initiative",
"EarthMRI",
"GGGSC",
"Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center",
"Hillsboro mining district",
"MRP",
"Mineral Resources Program",
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|
| modified | 2026-05-05T00:00:00Z |
| publisher |
{
"name": "U.S. Geological Survey",
"@type": "org:Organization"
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|
| spatial | -108.5104, 32.7208, -107.4970, 32.9689 |
| theme |
[
"geospatial"
]
|
| title | Radiometric data collected from an uncrewed airborne system at mine waste sites in New Mexico, 2024 |
