EMBRACE-EAR-Seed: Advanced Prospectivity Mapping by geodata integration for Critical Mineral Exploration in Mojave Desert, California

About This Grant

Critical minerals such as rare earth elements are essential for technologies that power modern life, from smartphones and renewable energy systems to defense applications. However, locating new sources of these minerals remains costly, complex, and often harmful to the environment. This project, led by a faculty researcher at Western Kentucky University, seeks to develop smarter, more sustainable ways to identify critical mineral deposits in the Mojave Desert of California, a region recognized as a national priority by the U.S. Geological Survey. By combining satellite data and advanced computer analysis, the project will help improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of mineral exploration. In addition to advancing scientific understanding, the project will provide meaningful research experiences for students, creating pathways for all students interested in the geosciences and data science to develop the skills needed for future careers. Through workshops, presentations, and publications, the project will broadly share its results, encouraging innovation and learning across the scientific community and beyond. In doing so, this effort strengthens national supply chains for critical minerals, supports economic growth and national security, and promotes opportunity and participation in science for Americans everywhere. The technical goal of this project is to evaluate whether integrating remote sensing data with machine learning can enhance mineral prospectivity mapping, the process of identifying locations with a higher likelihood of containing valuable mineral deposits beneath the Earth’s surface. The study focuses on rare earth elements and other critical minerals in California’s Mojave Desert, an area of both strategic and national significance. By combining digital image processing, artificial intelligence techniques, and field-based validation, the project seeks to produce more accurate and environmentally responsible mineral prospectivity maps. This approach will help identify critical mineral resources more efficiently, lowering the financial and ecological costs associated with traditional exploration methods. This interdisciplinary research brings together geology, data science, and environmental studies, advancing the field of mineral resource assessment. The project also emphasizes workforce development by training undergraduate and graduate students in innovative exploration techniques and offering a four-session mineral exploration workshop, creating pathways for students to gain real-world research and technical skills while preparing the next generation of scientists to address national mineral resource challenges. Research results will be disseminated through scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications, helping to shape future methods of sustainable mineral exploration. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.