Rapid discrimination of granitic rock compositions by low‐resolution near‐infrared reflectance

The slopes of near‐infrared spectra between ∼1 and ∼2 μm from quartz‐bearing plutonic rocks are strongly correlated with rock chemistry determined by X ray spectrometry. The empirically derived predictive equations provide compositional data of adequate precision and resolution to discern patterns of regional geochemical variation in granitic batholithic rocks of southern California. As an analytical method, infrared spectrometry is rapid and inexpensive, and the method has potential in applications to direct field measurements and to data from aircraft and spacecraft scanner systems of relatively low spectral and spatial resolution, provided vegetative cover and surface alteration are not prohibitively masking.