Quantifying dust loading on mangroves using hyperspectral techniques

Dust derived from mining and handling of ore is a major problem in Australia and may be critical to the future viability of some resource industries. This paper reports the results of a study to derive quantitative measurements of dust loading on mangroves using remotely-sensed hyperspectral and proximal spectrometry techniques. The results show that it is possible to detect and quantitatively map the iron oxide dust distribution based on properly calibrated airborne and laboratory visible to short wave infrared (VNIR-SWIR) data. Operational techniques to derive accurate measurements of dust are necessary for the long-term management and monitoring of the environment at the iron ore handling facility at Port Hedland, WA.