An airborne hyperspectral thermal infrared line profiling spectrometer (TIPS) has been developed by CSIRO and Fugro Airborne Surveys to measure and map surface mineralogies. TIPS is a spectrometer based on an FTIR instrument, recording radiance channel in about 100 channels in the 8 mm to 13 mm wavelength range from contiguous 10 meter pixels along the flightline, at a nominal flight altitude of 100 meters. Apparent surface emissivities and temperatures are retrieved from radiance measurements calibrated at the sensor. So far, no corrections have been made for the effects of downwelling radiance on the spectral signatures. Data sets and field mapping results are presented from a variety of different geological settings in Australia, including Broken Hill in New South Wales and Mt Fitton in South Australia. Emissivity information derived from TIPS collected over these sites enabled the mapping of a variety of silicates and carbonates. Mapping of soil and landcover constituents is also possible using TIPS surveying. The results of surveying salt affected agricultural soils at Lake Toolibin, Western Australia are also presented.
Hyperspectral thermal infrared line profiling for mapping surface mineralogy