Outreach
Together with committed partners from the National Center for Autonomous Technologies at Northland Community and Technical College, CASERM has developed a vibrant program that trains the next generation of pilots of unmanned aircraft systems for the minerals industry. In mineral exploration, unmanned aircraft systems are used for land surveying, hyperspectral remote sensing, and airborne geophysical data collection. Unmanned aircraft systems are also increasingly used in the monitoring of pit walls and underground workings. To meet the critical workforce needs of the minerals industry, this program provides advanced research and technology skills to community college students, with an emphasis on veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. The training program is partially support by the Skills Training in Advanced Research & Technology (START) opportunity of the National Science Foundation.
FIELD TRAINING OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT THE KAY MINE, ARIZONA (APRIL 2025)
In April 2025, the CASERM and North Dakota State College of Science team conducted a hyperspectral survey at the Kay Mine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in Arizona (April 3-9, 2025). The data acquisition was logistically supported by CASERM members Arizona Metals and NEO. Outstanding data quality was achieved using a Harris Arial UAV.
FIELD TRAINING OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT WICKENBURG, ARIZONA (NOVEMBER 2024)
In November 2024, the CASERM and North Dakota State College of Science team conducted field training of community college students in piloting unmanned aerial systems near Wickenburg in Arizona. Extensive orthoimaging and land surveying was performed.
FIELD TRAINING OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT THE KAY MINE, ARIZONA, AND CASTLE MOUNTAIN, CALIFORNIA (MAY 2023)
In May 2023, community college students from Northland Community and Technical College piloted unmanned aerial systems at two ore deposits in the western US. This included the acquisition of orthoimages and hyperspectral data at the Kay Mine volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in Arizona (May 4-10, 2023) and the Castle Mountain low-sulfidation epithermal deposit in California (May 12-18, 2023). The data acquisition was logistically supported by CASERM members Arizona Metals and Equinox Gold.
FIELD TRAINING OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT SALMON RIVER, IDAHO (MAY-JUNE 2022)
In May-June 2022, the CASERM research team and Western Colorado Community College teamed up to conduct field training of community college students in piloting unmanned aerial systems at Salmon River in Idaho. The project focused on the acquisition of hyperspectral data to constrain mineralogical gradients around cobalt deposits in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. Cobalt is an important critical element that is highly sought after for battery production. The acquired data support ongoing research in the Idaho Cobalt Belt by the Idaho Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey.
