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How NASA Uses Light to Detect Waste From Mines Earth (ESD) Earth Explore Explore Earth Science Agriculture Air Quality Climate Change Freshwater Life on Earth Severe Storms Snow and Ice The Global Ocean Science at Work Earth Science at Work Technology and Innovation Powering Business Multimedia Image Collections Videos Data For Researchers About Us Tens of thousands of abandoned mines threaten waterways across the American West, but identifying which sites urgently need cleanup is slow and expensive. Now, NASA’s EMIT instrument can analyze the unique light signatures of mine waste from space to help focus remediation efforts where they’re needed most.


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Details Last Updated May 28, 2026 Related Terms Earth EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) Video Series

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How NASA Uses Light to Detect Waste From Mines