The growing importance of rare earth elements (REEs) in sustainable technologies necessitates anefficient assessment of potential resource targets within the European Union. Traditional analyticaltechniques for REE determination have drawbacks like destructive and time-consuming samplepreparation, but hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) offer promisingalternatives. This project aims to use a combined HSI and LiF method to qualitatively characterizeREE mineralization and alteration in drill core samples from the Storkwitz deposit, Germany. The goal is to develop a transferrable mapping approach for REEs, while enhancing our understanding of the Storkwitz deposit. It aims to check the robustness of HSI conducted across the extendedwavelength range as a tool in effectively characterizing the lithologies associated with REEmineralization in the Storkwitz breccia. It also tests if the combined HSI-LiF can provide newinsights into the presence of REEs and its associated minerals in the Storkwitz breccia.The proposed workflow involves acquiring hyperspectral data of the Storkwitz drill core and blocksections in three wavelength ranges (VNIR-SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR). Automatic and manualendmember extraction is performed on the smaller subsection of data to create spectral libraries,which are then used for spectral unmixing and mapping of the entire hyperspectral dataset toidentify lithologies. LiF is used to identify and map rare earth elements (REEs) in selected REErichzones identified from the hyperspectral data.The results indicated that the Storkwitz Breccia is primarily composed of ankerite in the matrix,along with minor amounts of white mica, clay, iron oxides, and REE-fluorcarbonates. The brecciacontains different clasts, including granitoid clasts rich in orthoclase and quartz-albite-biotite, aswell as carbonatitic clasts dominated by ankerite, dolomite, and ankerite-calcite. The breccia alsounderwent four alteration phases, including fenitization, biotite alteration, white mica-clayalteration, and ferric alteration. Laser-induced spectroscopy confirmed the presence of REEs, withapatite and REE-fluorcarbonates, particularly bastnäsite, being the main REE-bearing minerals.The specific REEs identified include Nd3+, Sm3+, Pr3+, and possibly Eu3+. The comprehensiveworkflow combining hyperspectral imaging and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy provedto be a successful approach for characterizing lithologies and mapping rare earth elementmineralization in the Storkwitz breccia. The study opens up new possibilities for efficient REEexploration in similar geological settings, providing valuable information for geological loggingand interpretation.

New mining and exploration projects have revived across Europe with an increasing demand for critical raw materials driven by the energy transition and unstable political conditions. Hyperspectral imaging proves to be an excellent tool for quick and efficient non-invasive mineral exploration. By mounting hyperspectral- and LiDAR sensors on drones and other robots, inaccessible and dangerous areas can safely be mapped for geological information. With increasingly deeper and more hazardous underground mines, a robot-aided
hyperspectral mineral exploration method in underground environments is needed. This study configures a Cubert X20P hyperspectral camera (VNIR) and VLP16 LiDAR on the versatile Boston Dynamics Spot robot, creating a multi-sensor robotic platform for data acquisition in underground mining environments. A data workflow is proposed and applied to the granite greisen rocks of the Zinnwald/Cinnovec mine (Germany). Combining hyperspectral and geometric data provides unique 3D hypercloud results interpreted for mineral
and structural features. Hyperspectral analysis successfully identifies iron and clay minerals along with multiple vein and fault structures. A remote mineral exploration method in underground mines significantly improves safety by keeping the operator away from hazardous areas. The proposed platform and workflow show potential to contribute to underground mineral exploration, especially if future improvements in data quality and autonomous capabilities are made.

In the former lignite mine "Robertshall" near Hamburg damage to the surface was caused by the collapse of underground cavities originating from old mine workings of a lignite mine which had been in operation between 1920 and 1922. During the investigation of the subsurface by drilling it was noticed that the existing mine plans are incomplete.
If mine plans are missing or incomplete, the risk to protected assets at the surface due to mining damage can often only be reliably assessed by means of indirect methods such as geophysics in reasonable combination with drilling. Within the scope of this work the extend of room-and-pillar caving at the “Robertshall” deep lignite mine was determined by geophysical methods. Subsequent backfilling and securing of the old mine workings are the goals of this exploration.
The simultaneous application of several methods on the selected test profile is not only intended to increase the reliability of the results, but also to gain experience as to which methods are best suited for routine detection under the given geological and mining conditions. The geophysical measurements are supplemented by an evaluation of historical data.
The results of geophysics have led to the prompt and reliable discovery of many drifts that were not included in the mine plan. Compared to the conventional approach of exploration by drilling, the application of seismic measurements saves time and costs.
The securing measures could be carried out by the responsible parties and the desired securing success has been achieved so that no further movements of the ground surface are to be expected.

Over the last decade, interest in deep-sea mining of Polymetallic Nodules (PN) has reignited. It is driven by an increasing demand of metals that are critical for the digital economy and modern technologies such as batteries. Methods for resource estimation of PN are known and commercially available. There is however no standard method of a planning a deep-sea mining operation. This is an essential step to define mineable reserves. To address this problem, an existing concept has been applied in this thesis. This planning concept was inspired by agriculture and subdivides a mining license area into large scale mining sites, which are in turn subdivided into smaller, continuouslymineable areas calledmining fields. The subdivision is illustrated in figure 1. The contribution of this thesis is the development of a methodology for this concept. The concept was applied to a framework based upon a license area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean. The mining will be done using a Nodule Collector (NC), which is a self-propelled machine that continuously gathers PN on the ocean floor and transports them upwards to a vessel at the ocean surface. Certain areas are deemed constrained by slopes or nodule types. Mining sites wherein the NC will operate were outlined within the license area using those constraints and Nodule Abundance (NA).Within the mining sites, a new metric was introduced for assessing the mineability for the NC: the Straight-Line Distance (SLD). The next step down from mining sites are the mining fields. The operation of the NC within them is approximated by two different driving patterns. Different field shapes are also analyzed, along with the impact of obstacles inside the field. Different methods of creating fields inside the mining sites were considered. The procedure relied upon the SLD to define the boundaries between fields. Two sets of field are created: with elongated shape and compact shape. The best set of fields was selected using the approximation of NC operation. Lastly, a method for determining the sequence of fields is developed that uses a Genetic Algorithm (GA) as optimization method. It takes into account constraints for mining rate, operational hours, nodule targets and travelling time. The methods outlined in this thesis are flexible and can be applied in a variety of circumstances. The selection of mineable areas turns out to be the must crucial step. The subsequent delineation of mining fields and sequencing does not make or break the profitability of the operation, although they are essential steps for the definition of mineable reserves.