Low-level helicopter flights to image geology in southern California

RESTON, Va. - Low-level helicopter flights are planned over parts of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

The survey will begin in early November 2024 and is expected to be completed in December 2024, weather and flight restrictions permitting.

Flights will cover areas within Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties in California.

Initial survey flights will be based out of the Barstow area. The survey base and flight locations are subject to change with little warning to other parts of the survey area as necessary to minimize ferrying distances and avoid adverse flying conditions.

The purpose of the survey is to provide images of subsurface electrical conductivity that expand the fundamental knowledge of the geology of the western Mojave Desert.

The helicopter will fly along pre-planned flight paths relatively low to the ground, about 200 feet (60 meters) above the surface. Flight line spacing will vary depending on location, typically separated by about 3,300 feet (1 kilometer) in detail survey areas or 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) in more regional survey areas. A sensor that resembles a large hula-hoop will be towed beneath the helicopter to measure small electromagnetic signals that can be used to map geologic features.

The data collected will be made freely available to the public on ScienceBase, typically within one to two years of flight completion.

None of the instruments carried on the aircraft pose a health risk to people or animals. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots that are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. The survey company works with the FAA to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law.

The surveys will be conducted during daylight hours only. Surveys do not occur over densely populated areas and the helicopter will not directly overfly buildings at low altitude.

This airborne electromagnetic survey is funded by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative as part of a national-scale effort to acquire modern high-resolution airborne geophysical data through airborne geophysical surveys like this one, geochemical reconnaissance surveys, topographic mapping using lidar technology, hyperspectral surveys, and geologic mapping projects

This survey is designed to meet needs related to mineral resource assessments, geologic framework, and mapping studies, as well as supporting water resources studies. The survey area hosts evaporation-based mineral systems that may contain lithium and boron, as well as other critical minerals.

The survey will also cover areas over Edwards Air Force Base, California as part of a Department of Defense-funded collaboration between USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where the results will be used to evaluate how the results of airborne geophysical surveys can be integrated into water resources management of military installations.

The new geophysical data will be processed to develop high-resolution three-dimensional representations of geology to depths over 1,000 feet (300 meters) below the surface. The models and maps produced from the survey are important for improving our understanding of critical mineral resource potential, groundwater aquifer structure and salinity, and natural hazards. These results will support detailed geologic mapping studies being conducted by USGS and the California Geological Survey, by expanding on the mapping of formations where they can be observed in the hills and mountains into the valleys, where these geologic layers become buried under sediments and volcanic deposits.

Similar airborne electromagnetic surveys have been conducted in other parts of California over the last decade by USGS, the California Department of Water Resources, and local resource management agencies to support groundwater research and management.

The survey fits into a broader effort by the USGS, the California Geological Survey, and many other state geological surveys and other partners, including private companies, academics, and state and federal agencies to modernize our understanding of the nation's fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources.

Read this survey's full project announcement here.

To learn more about how the USGS is investing the resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, visit our website. To learn more about USGS mineral-resource and commodity information, please visit our website and follow us on X.

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