GreenMiner: Geological Remote Sensing education for critical raw materials.

Mining will remain part of the energy transition; whether it earns public trust depends on transparent evidence about where, what, and how we extract. GreenMiner frames geological remote sensing as a practical ally in that task by developing classroom and short-course materials that connect mineral-scale measurements to image-scale mapping. Using Sweden’s Olserum REE deposit as a case study, we combine µXRF and high-resolution imaging-spectroscopy datasets. We integrate them into ENVI/Python exercises for spectral feature mapping and mineralogical interpretation. These resources are now embedded in the VU MSc curriculum and ITC’s Geoversity offerings, enabling students and practitioners to generate reproducible products that can be compared with airborne/spaceborne acquisitions (e.g., EnMAP). Additional outreach via the Critical Minerals, Critical Talks podcast supports science-communication training and links technical work to societal questions. The outcome is practical training that strengthens geological remote sensing as an evidence-based interface between mineral characterisation and responsible mining.