Combined Solid-State LiDAR and Fluorescence Photogrammetry Imaging to Determine Uranyl Mineral Distribution in a Legacy Uranium Mine.

Abstract

Determining the presence and abundance of uranium mineralization at legacy mine sites is important both for responsible environmental management and potential resource recovery. Technologies that can make such determinations quickly and at low costs are highly desirable. The current work focuses on demonstrating the use of simple handheld commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices for rapidly determining the presence and distribution of uranyl minerals within an abandoned copper-uranium mine. Specifically, this work demonstrates the use of a COTS iPhone 13 Pro smartphone with an inbuilt solid-state LiDAR (laser) scanner in combination with a handheld LED-based UV torch to conduct a rapid fluorescence imaging photogrammetry survey aimed at rapidly determining the distribution of uranyl minerals within an abandoned copper-uranium mine in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area, Gila County, Arizona, USA. Such a simple methodology, presented herein, can be used to quickly determine the distribution of uranyl minerals on exposed surfaces within the underground workings and provide an indication of the presence of primary uranium ore minerals buried within the surrounding rock.