Make your own Lidar maps for gold prospecting!!

If you are interested in LIDAR for gold prospecting please go to my website: theprospectinggeologist.com/
In this video I teach you how to make lidar maps for gold prospecting and metal detecting, from free programs and free data that is available online. Lidar is an incredibly powerful tool that lets you see the bare ground surface as if there was no vegetation. With it you can see the past mining activities such as shafts, adits, pits, trenches, tailing piles, diversions and more!
Qgis downlowd: qgis.org/en/site/forusers/dow...
Saga gis download: sourceforge.net/projects/saga...
Best site for free lidar data in the US: viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/
Please know that there is more free lidar available out there its just not all located in one place. Some states and countries will have their own separate databases for it.
Music from www.bensound.com/: smallguitar

[@steveleclerc3517]

With QGIS, you don't need to pull out the KML. Go on the Web menu, QuickMapservices, then add Google Map and Esri(Much better). You can also export you mine point in kml and add them in QGIS.

[@TV-ox8py]

Its work just in usa or anywhere in the world?

[@mikefritz8683]

Super Helpful Matt. Thanks for the work on this!

[@hawynboynlv]

Hey Matt, I was finally able to make my first Lidar map. Thanks for sending me here bud, it was worth the 10 bucks I paid for your map. I learned by watching this and a video posted by mining magnets. This is a very valuable tool that I plan on using in my prospecting and treaure hunting adventures. Thanks bunches

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Awesome! I’m glad I could help. If you need anything with Lidar in the future let me know!

[@CarletonWatkins1861]

Thank you for this!! And thank KZbin for the ability to slow down the video to 50% lol

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Haha thanks for watching. Sorry that I talk to fast. It’s a problem I need to work on. Lol

[@justinmcnutt5558]

Great video. Thats what mineral exploration, propsecting, gold panning and small scale mining needs, more technical. We already have the knowledge, motivation and basic equipment. I am truly grateful and thank you for your time. Keep the tech tutorials coming!

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Thanks! I have some more that i plan to get out there pertaining to using and reading the lidar, as well as some equipment reviews and prospecting techniques.

[@chrispatriot]

Love the video! Learning a lot!

[@AmericanGoldProspectors]

Great info! Thanks for making the video!

[@aurtisanminer2827]

That detail is pretty awesome.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Yeah i absolutely love the lidar maps.

[@fliesandfeathers5809]

Awesome video! I just learned about lidar last week on a WW2 documentary and my first thought was "I bet I could use that for prospecting".

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Glad you liked it! If you need help let me know. Also if you would prefer to purchase lidar overlays you can check out my website www.theprospectinggeologist.com

[@DiamondMinerIvins]

sweet! thanks for the info

[@Notellemkrik1776]

Great info

[@Notellemkrik1776]

So so much to learn. How did the old timers do it.

[@JamesReynoldsRockWallHunter]

Cool video great channel subbed ya

[@rufuscmclean]

I got it to work with Saga. there a lot of quick clicks on options in selected the data in the saga program that flew right by me until I really carefully watched what you are doing. Thanks. I am geologist and really appreciate the help

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Always glad to help out a fellow geologist!

[@rufuscmclean]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Do you know where I can download 1 meter DEM for the Uwharries. I dont see coverage in that area. any suggestions? RC Mclean

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

@@rufuscmclean All of NC Lidar data is here: sdd.nc.gov/DataDownload.aspx

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Probably going to be revamping this video and moving it to my patreon page in a few days.

[@phillipbrown1140]

Love the videos, watching more and more. Everything looks a bit too technical and I have many questions Can you help me with my area and setting up certain features for a fee?

[@Notellemkrik1776]

New to this hobby

[@BeefyPrepperthegolddigger]

Very interesting!! I wish I was a bit more computer savvy. I spend a lot of time researching maps and history on my phone but I turn on a computer and I’m lost 😂😂😂

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Yeah unfortunatly all the programs to make the maps require a computer. But I do believe the google earth overlays will open in the google earth app on your phone.

[@1topskyrocket]

I need to see if it's available here in southern Oregon where there are lots of Old mines from over a hundred years ago that are hard to spot when out prospecting

[@spicer41282]

Thanks for sharing this! Really enjoyable! 👍 Any tips on using this technique to find aquifers close to the surface?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Thanks for watching, Im glad you enjoyed it! Since lidar only shows the bare earth ground surface i dont believe that it could be used to locate aquifers.

[@missouri_dave]

Too much has probably changed, updates, versions etc. I couldn't get anything to work for me. I will try to find a more recent version of instruction video. I am just wanting to look at lidar in my area in MO just to see if there is anything interesting around me that has been forgotten about or abandoned.

[@robmcguire963]

Great videos, I have a issue when downloading the zip files, they will download but after extracting it dont have a disc image just a las file

[@reconscout5994]

Any new lidar for northern California yet.? Thanks!. Great video.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Not that i have seen yet, but i know there is more on the way, i just dont know when it will be available.

[@djpitr]

I just use maps 3D app on iPhone , it let you select and download maps with all elevations topo .. for offline map , that still works with gps on my phone

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Lidar maps are so so much better then any 3d map or ordinary topo map. With lidar maps i can see all the working that the old timers did at old gold mines, i can see tailing pilings, trenches, pits, shafts, adits and any other surface disturbance they made back in the day. If you have any areas of interest in NC let me know and i should be able to make a map for you. Thanks for watching!

[@djpitr]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 that would be cool to see , what’s your email I will send you where I prospect and if you will have time I would love to compare map you can make :) thanks Peter

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

[e-mail]

[@TV-ox8py]

Is it work in jordan please?

[@braydenthompson8352]

You are awesome btw. How hard ya think montana would be?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Montana has almost no lidar data, sorry.

[@onemansthought]

What is the overlay with all the mines? Great video, THANK YOU!!!

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

The mineral resource data system is where you can create that overlay for google earth. I believe I go over how to in the video called google earth gold prospecting basics i think.

[@onemansthought]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Got it, Thank you!

[@IowaGoldProspectors]

I didn't know if there was glacial coverage over where you're at in earlier history of your area.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

I have soil map overlays for google earth, but i havent really found the to be incredibly useful in my area.

[@wilfor03]

Hey there, Matt.....been trying for about a week now to find a program to open the downloaded "tif" files....tried MS Windows Photos, Irfanview, and several others....almost got all this together (I think) but hit a wall when I can't open the tif files.....help....and thank you Bill

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Thanks for the comment. Just fyi I’m going to be pulling this video from Facebook and putting it on my patreon where I can revamp it and be able to answer questions better and more actively over there as well as possibly do some live streams of the process. Here is my patreon account. www.patreon.com/theprospectinggeologist

[@ChrisJamesVideo]

Have you made maps recently? Ever see GeoTiff files from nationalmap.gov? How do you import and work with those in SAGA?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Yep. Import them as a grid. You may have to select all files instead of sgrd when you are trying to locate it to download

[@mikefromtheblock4967]

When I download the foot print, it just gives me a download TIF option only, there is no just "download button" just the download button followed by TIF. How do I find just the download button?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

The tif file is the one you want.

[@donnanorth7324]

Instructions already need updated. It looks like you have to buy the data now. Or am I missing something?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

For which program. I’ve used both saga gis and qgis fairly recently and didn’t notice anything different in the process.

[@TheLensSchwendi]

That's cool! I work for Leica Geosystems in Switzerland and we make airborne LIDAR systems. I'm also a hobby gold prospector, so it's funny to see this connection between my hobby and job (I'm an optics engineer working in R&D). I also read articles about geologists using our airborne lidar scanners to search for faults etc. to search for ores... Good video. I subscribed to your channel and it would be pleasure if you visit my channel! Best regards from Switzerland

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Thanks for watching! If i have questions about in depth lidar info i know now who to talk too! Thanks!

[@TheLensSchwendi]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 sure! I'm not the LIDAR system expert, I just design the receiver lens. But I know, who to ask 😉. It's in fact a very close colleague, a crazy physicist 😅

[@GreenMountainGoldTrap]

Where do I get to where your at withing usgs dot gov? Don't see that link in your description. Thanks a bunch for this great info.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

It is the national map link in the description. Thanks for watching!

[@GreenMountainGoldTrap]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Thanks! And your welcome. The other problem I had was with SAGA, the download automatically wanted to open with windows photo gallery and saying no only makes it go away with no other options.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

@@GreenMountainGoldTrap you will need to go into your download folder and extract the files you need. Then open them in Saga.

[@GreenMountainGoldTrap]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Couldn't find it there so, what I did do is right click on it at the top of the screen and then chose "Open With". That worked! But, it seems it needs 64 bit to run the program. We have a really beefy gaming pc sitting here. I just need to find the time to switch everything over. Time is something I don't have lately! I will figure it out!

[@CompleteScreens]

How can I download a Lidar map of California and upload it to my Gaia maps layers?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

The national map has lots of LiDAR data for California. But the whole state isn’t covered yet and you can’t really download it all as one map of California. As far uploading LiDAR maps that you made to Gaia I don’t know. Each gps and app has their own requirements on file types size etc, and many don’t support the file type for LiDAR. The best app I’ve found so far for LiDAR is called CalTopo. It has Lidar layers built into if for the areas that have coverage.

[@CompleteScreens]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Thank you for your response. I couldn't find LIDAR map on CalTopo

[@scottk1525]

I just knew watching this video that somehow it wasn't going to work. Sure enough, when I open the file I downloaded from USGS in SAGA (which is a .tif file btw, not a "disk image" file) nothing happens. It loads. Says it's "ready." But the screen is blank. Why can't shit just work? Ugh.

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Currently I’m recommending the CalTopo App to anyone who is wanting to use LiDAR for prospecting. The app is free and has good enough Lidar built into it for the areas that have coverage. Here is a video I did about the app and using Lidar on it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6CZdpWHd9R1n68

[@scottk1525]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 Awesome. Thanks!

[@braydenthompson8352]

Not a speck in mt.? That's crazy but not surprising

[@deanmayer6508]

How much do you charge to do one of South Carolina?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Unfortunately most of SC lidar data is not in a format the any of the free programs can work with, and i dont have access to ARC Gis pro to make them from that data.

[@deanmayer6508]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 thanks so much.

[@Disodimz]

Lp360

[@matthewellis9566]

I create large scale, high resolution raster maps of the seafloor for recreational and commercial fishing interests in the mid-Atlantic region. I’m very interested in pinpointing gold deposits in the vast networks of paleochannels which run out from shore to the Continental shelf. Btw, Esri offers Personal Use licenses for $100 a year. I’ve been using the ArcGIS Suite of products for a few years and it’s well worth the $100 a year! www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-for-personal-use/buy?rmedium=www_esri_com_EtoF&rsource=/en-us/store/arcgis-personal-use

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Thanks for watching! As far as pin pointing gold deposits in off shore paleo channels, that is going to be super difficult. The lidar is best used for gold prospecting where there is a history of past mining. In an offshore environment im not sure how much use it would be. As for the arc gis license i tried to do the 100 one before but that one didnt have the ability to convert las files into DEMs. Has that changed?

[@Calgold49]

Can’t even get to USGS map, never seen such a F-uped website unbelievable

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Are you using the national map? It does seem to go down fairly often.

[@Calgold49]

@@theprospectinggeologist4347 actually found it and downloaded the site data i am interested in then downloaded SAGA but could not get it to open or run on my computer do I need to create a account with SAGA?

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

No I’ve never needed an account.

[@Calgold49]

What a pain in the ass!

[@theprospectinggeologist4347]

Lol. It’s not easy. But once you get the hang of it it’s not bad. Another option for you to check out is the CalTopo app. It has decent Lidar built in for areas that have coverage. It’s called shaded relief in the map layers tab of the app. I’ll be doing a video on it soon