What is it about?
The article is about a new way of looking for valuable minerals hidden deep underground. Instead of using generators that emit their own signals (which are limited in their strength), this method utilizes natural electromagnetic energy from global thunderstorms and lightning activity. A helicopter carries a special three-component sensor that measures variations in the Earth’s magnetic field, while a station on the ground measures the electric field variations. By combining these measurements, geophysicists can create pictures of the underground layers, similar to a medical scan of the Earth. The big advantage is that this system works both near the surface and at depths of more than a kilometer, and it can spot structures that other survey methods miss or not able to detect. The article shows real-world examples where this technique revealed hidden geological features connected to mineral deposits, proving it to be a powerful tool for modern mineral exploration.
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Why is it important?
It’s important because the world urgently needs more critical minerals—like nickel, copper, cobalt, and rare metals—for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Traditional exploration tools often can’t “see” deep enough or miss key structures that control mineralization. The method described in the article lets explorers map the Earth’s geology more clearly and at greater depths, helping them discover mineral deposits that would otherwise stay hidden. In short: - It supports the search for the minerals needed for the energy transition. - It reduces exploration risk by giving clearer underground images. - It helps companies explore faster, over larger areas, and with fewer environmental impacts than drilling everywhere blindly.
Perspectives
it demonstrates a step-change in how airborne geophysics can contribute to the global search for critical minerals. It highlights that exploration doesn’t always require stronger transmitters or larger systems, very often the key is using natural fields more intelligently and applying advanced inversion methods to recover meaningful resistivity models. What stands out in this paper is that it bridges the gap between theoretical geophysics and practical mineral exploration. By showing both the physics (why broadband, total-field measurements matter) and the field results (real examples of deep structures being mapped), the study proves the approach is not just a concept but a ready-to-use exploration tool. The publication is not only advancing the science but also directly helping industry locate the mineral resources needed for the energy transition.
Alexander Prikhodko
Expert Geophysics Limited
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Advancing Deep Ore Exploration with MobileMT: Rapid 2.5D Inversion of Broadband Airborne EM Data, Minerals, August 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/min15080874.
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