title: Satellite-derived mineral mapping and monitoring of weathering, deposition and erosion.
abstract: The Earth's surface comprises minerals diagnostic of weathering, deposition and erosion. The first continental-scale mineral maps generated from an imaging satellite with spectral bands designed to measure clays, quartz and other minerals were released in 2012 for Australia. Here we show how these satellite mineral maps improve our understanding of weathering, erosional and depositional processes in the context of changing weather, climate and tectonics. The clay composition map shows how kaolinite has developed over tectonically stable continental crust in response to deep weathering during northwardly migrating tropical conditions from 45 to 10 Ma. The same clay composition map, in combination with one sensitive to water content, enables the discrimination of illite from montmorillonite clays that typically develop in large depositional environments over thin (sinking) continental crust such as the Lake Eyre Basin. Cutting across these clay patterns are sandy deserts that developed <10 Ma and are well mapped using another satellite product sensitive to the particle size of silicate minerals. This product can also be used to measure temporal gains/losses of surface clay caused by periodic wind erosion (dust) and rainfall inundation (flood) events. The accuracy and information content of these satellite mineral maps are validated using published data.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cudahy
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caccetta
authors.affiliation: Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Matilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.|School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, Vic 3001, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hewson
authors.affiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Japan Space Systems, 3-5-8 Shibakoen, Minatoku, Tokyo, 105-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Japan Space Systems, 3-5-8 Shibakoen, Minatoku, Tokyo, 105-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kashimura
authors.affiliation: Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 7, 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, 3058567, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.affiliation: Nagoya University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, D2-1 (510) Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Data61, Leeuwin Centre, Brockway Road, Floreat Park, Western Australia, 6014, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collings
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laukamp
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodger
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Data61, Leeuwin Centre, Brockway Road, Floreat Park, Western Australia, 6014, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Life Sciences Centre, Riverside Corporate Park, 11 Julius Avenue, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Computer Science &IT Building, 108 North Road, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Woodcock
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rankine
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Mineral Resources, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia.
authors.forename: Josh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vote
authors.affiliation: Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.|Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Caritat
authors.affiliation: Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: English
authors.affiliation: USGS/EROS, 47914, 252nd Ave. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: USGS/EROS, 47914, 252nd Ave. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doescher
authors.affiliation: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, 9 Dengzhuang South Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bihong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, 9 Dengzhuang South Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pilong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Forestry House, Banks Road, Yarralumla, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mitchell