Producing useful regolith-terrain maps for the exploration industry relies primarily on the analysis and visualization of topographic and multi-spectral data.

The two most useful datasets for regional regolith-terrain mapping are well processed Landsat satellite images (Landsat TM3) and digital elevation models (SRTM).

Extracting maximum value from these datasets, and then applying more robust mapping methodologies, will improve our understanding of the intimate relationship between landform, material, and process. This is a prerequisite for understanding three-dimensional and temporal aspects of the regolith.

Orthophotograph, radiometric, multispectral (ASTER), hyperspectral (HyMap) and radar datasets are also potentially useful for mineral exploration, but coverage of remote areas, such as the Tanami Desert in Western Australia, tends to be patchy.