Technology
The technology has moved from aerial photography to multispectral and now, hyperspectral remote sensing. The advanced hyperspectral technology provides the ability to accurately read the chemical properties of surface substances from great altitudes and produce easily interpreted maps showing where and what the material is.
Within the realm of exploration, remote sensing does not replace the need for geological knowledge, geochemistry, geophysics, seismic, drilling, etc, which are some of the more conventional tools used for exploration. Remote sensing does, however, identify more exploration targets faster and improves the probability of finding anomalies from the rest of the herd. Conventional exploration methods would take decades to cover the same ground, and at increased cost, the same task that can be performed by utilizing airborne hyperspectral technology.