# Mining: prospection from a satellite image

> A free Sentinel-2 image with its shortwave infrared bands: the clay / hydroxyl and ferric oxide ratios that point at altered ground.

Page: https://finitor.cl/learn/desktop-mining-prospection

Video: https://finitor.cl/learn/desktop-mining-prospection-en.mp4 — The Chuquicamata district, Chile. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025 (Sentinel-2 L2A, 11 July 2025, 20 m bands).

## The image

1. Open the multiband GeoTIFF on the map. When the file names its bands, the program reads which is which; otherwise choose each band's role.

## The indices

1. Clay / hydroxyl (SWIR1 / SWIR2): clays and micas absorb near 2.2 µm, so altered ground shows high. Ferric oxides (SWIR1 / NIR) and ferrous iron are in the same list.

These ratios show where to look; they do not name a mineral. Check the targets in the field, with samples and spectroscopy.

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