HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY AND SPECTROSCOPY FOR MAPPING DISTRIBUTION OF HEAVY METALS ALONG STREAMLINES

For mapping the distribution of heavy metals in the mining area, field spectroscopy and hyperspectral remote sensing were used in this study. Although heavy metals are spectrally featureless from the visible to the short wave infrared range, possible variations in spectral signal due to heavy metals bound onto minerals can be explained with the metal binding reaction onto the mineral surface. Variations in the spectral absorption shapes of lattice OH and oxygen on the mineral surface due to the combination of heavy metals were surveyed over the range from 420 to 2400 nm. Spectral parameters such as peak ratio and peak area were derived and statistically linked to metal concentration levels in the streambed samples collected from the dry stream channels. The spatial relationships between spectral parameters and concentrations of heavy metals were yielded as well. Based on the observation at a ground level for the relationship between spectral signal and metal concentration levels, the spectral parameters were classified in a hyperspectral image and the spatial distribution patterns of classified pixels were compared with the product of analysis at the ground level. The degree of similarity between ground dataset and image dataset was statistically validated. These techniques are expected to support assessment of dispersion of heavy metal contamination and decision on optimal sampling point.