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28 March 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)
Prof Francis Petersen and Dr Khotso Mokhele
During the signing ceremony, delegates had the opportunity to visit the MAGIC laboratory, which is housed in the Geology Building on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. From the left, are Prof Francis Petersen and Dr Khotso Mokhele.

Did you know that one can photograph a plant so clearly from a distance that it is likely to detect the health of its leaves? Or can you contemplate the possibility of taking a photograph of three similar-looking rocks, being able to distinguish them from each other due to spectral properties associated with their internal mineral content?

This and other drone-based geological imaging are made possible by the Merensky group for Aerial Geological Image Classification (MAGIC) at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Recently (24 March 2022), the President of the Hans Merensky Foundation (HMF), Dr Khotso Mokhele, signed a R11 million five-year research grant agreement with the UFS. Merensky research projects are currently limited to three South African universities – Stellenbosch University (for forestry research), the University of Pretoria (for avocados), and now the UFS.

Demonstration and application

Dr Mokhele, who is also the former Chancellor of the UFS, states: “When I walked into the MAGIC Lab, I knew that something special was going to happen here. What we are launching today will become a world-class and world-leading facility.”

According to him, Dr Hans Merensky, whose legacy is facilitated by the foundation, was one of the most influential geologists in South Africa. He discovered, among others, deposits of gold, platinum, diamonds, phosphates, and vermiculite. After several decades of operating in the geological sciences and with his knowledge of soil health, Merensky became a conservationist of note and played a key role in the establishment of the country’s agricultural practices.

“The main objective of the Hans Merensky Foundation is to promote and assist in the development of the resources of South Africa and neighbouring territories – particularly such natural resources as soil, water, flora, and fauna – and to promote the health and welfare of the inhabitants; more specifically, through research, experimentation, and demonstration and through the correlation and application of scientific knowledge.” 

“You have to take the knowledge and translate it into demonstration of what that knowledge can do, and then apply it,” says Dr Mokhele.

The grant is also evidence of Dr Merensky’s generosity. He is well quoted saying: “This country has given to me so much, that I am only too happy to be allowed to help it to develop in some way, and I am grateful to be able to give back to it a fraction of what it has given to me.” 

Next generation of scientists

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Francis Petersen, said at the signing ceremony that this is an exciting project. “For us as a university, research and the development of the next generation of scientists are critical. This is part of our mandate. This project is one of those catalysts for the development of what the mandate is all about – research output, capacity building, and impact through our students and our research in a broader society.”

He thanked Dr Mokhele for facilitating the project and introducing the UFS to the Hans Merensky Foundation, having the confidence that the university has the capacity to deliver.  

“For Dr Mokhele, it is all about the science. To a certain extent, his driving force was to use science to make a difference in the lives of people,” says Prof Petersen. 

He continues: “The institution is highly committed to this project and will make sure that it receives the maximum support to make it a success.”

The grant has been allocated to MAGIC and funds will be used to support research programmes. “This includes student bursaries, staff salaries, capital expenditure acquisitions such as high-performance computers, as well as the drones that the project makes use of,” states Dr Martin Clark, Lecturer in the Department of Geology.

According to him, the group aims to develop drone-based geological imaging in South Africa, with specific attention to mineral and groundwater exploration endeavours.

Dr Martin Clark
(Dr Martin Clark, principal investigator of MAGIC, says what makes him excited about this project is how the research impacts
society. Photo: Sonia Small

Impacting society 
 
“What makes me excited about this project is how the research impacts society.  This includes developing geological imaging capacity in South African geologists with a 4IR skillset, ensuring that they remain competitive in a global market,” says Dr Clark.

He is also of the opinion that many industries will be able to see for themselves how this technology can improve their businesses. “Drone-based geological imaging can be quicker, cheaper, and safer for collecting much of the initial information that informs more expensive exploration processes, such as drilling. Additionally, it is non-invasive, and has little to no impact on the environment during data collection. Drones can also, in terms of safety, collect data from unstable rock walls – historically, geologists would have to take those measurements themselves, with rock falls resulting in a significant number of deaths every year.”

Recent research

Dr Clark says drone-based imaging has supported research initiatives in the Vredefort Dome. “Using drone-collected high-resolution images of meteorite impact melt rocks, along with field observations of how much and where foreign rock components were contained within (clasts), we could make a case for turbulent flow in the migration of impact melt material within the deep crust.”
 
He adds that three papers are currently underway, each predicated on drone imagery that enables new insights into geological processes or the ability to digitally translate geological information inside and outside the classroom.

The growing research group, with Dr Clark as the principal investigator, consists of one PhD student, two master’s students, and two honours students, with several postdoctoral research fellows to follow soon. 

The difference

Although several universities in the country have started using drones, the UFS has significant support to grow drone applications. With assets such as the high-performance computing cluster, very large drone-borne datasets can be resolved in record time.  

“The UFS also has a wealth of world-class researchers focused on topics such as farming and environmental management, who will be able to benefit from the drone infrastructure being established on campus. We are aiming to be the go-to geological drone imaging group in South Africa,” he says. 




About mineral and groundwater exploration


Dr Martin Clark explains that drones can carry several types of cameras, from regular photographic cameras that capture photos as we know it, to thermal cameras showing differences in hot and cold bodies, to spectral cameras capturing beyond what our eyes can see into other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  The MAGIC group mainly uses regular and spectral cameras for their applications. 

He says with mineral exploration, a high-resolution understanding of the geometry of rock bodies enables us to better identify where more costly mineral exploration techniques (e.g., drilling) should go.  This process allows for a better understanding of how geological areas have developed from a structural perspective – in essence, from where and how rocks have been displaced and deformed, and by association, the mineral deposits contained within.

“In terms of groundwater exploration, regular cameras are used to understand where rocks are fractured, where specific groundwater-influencing lithological bodies are located, and how they are orientated.” 

Dr Clark continues: “With spectral cameras, we can perceive the level of access that surface plants have to water resources. It is also possible to spot the distribution of plant types associated with, or strongly dependent on, available near-surface groundwater resources.  By using spectral data, which was historically collected from satellites, we can understand how areas of land have been affected by growing, shrinking, or shifting underground bodies of water.”




News Archive

Lessons of The Spear
2012-08-14

 Discussing weighty issues at the UFS were from left: Prof. Jonathan Jansen; Vice-Chancellor and Rector; Nic Dawes, Editor-in-Chief, Mail & Guardian; Max du Preez: Investigative journalist and political columnist; Ferial Haffajee: Editor, City Press; and Justice Malala: Political commentator and newspaper columnist.
Photo: Johan Roux
14 August 2012

What were South Africans left with after The Spear? More importantly, what did we learn from The Spear?

These were the issues discussed at a seminar, Beyond the Spear, on the controversial Brett Murray painting at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) on Monday 13 August 2012.

The university hosted this seminar, Beyond the Spear, in conjunction with acclaimed journalists, to look deeper into the lessons that South Africans learnt from this painting and the reaction from the public and politicians following soon after it went on display at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg.

The four panellists, Mr Justice Malala (political analyst, journalist and host of the news show, The Justice Factor), Mr Nic Dawes (editor in chief of Mail & Guardian), Mr Max du Preez (investigative journalist and political columnist) and Ms Ferial Haffajee (editor of City Press), all presented their views and experiences on the public’s perceptions of this artwork.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said the purpose of the seminar was to help us make sense of what happened. Prof. Jansen also chaired this seminar.

“This being South Africa, there will be more ‘Spears’. More public crises will unfold that divide the nation and that will stir the emotions. We need to understand what happened so that we are better prepared to deal with the coming ‘Spears’.”

Issues on leadership, South Africa’s hurtful past and the freedom of expression were some of the topics raised by the panellists.

“This has taught us that South Africans – especially the older generation – still need to vent their anger… White South Africa must be patient and allow black citizens to shout at them,” said Mr Du Preez. He warned that this anger should serve a constructive purpose. In reaction to a question if Brett Murray did not disrespect Pres. Jacob Zuma’s dignity with his controversial painting, he said that this painting was “…rude and disrespectful.”

“It was meant to be. It was not honouring him.” He said that politicians will do anything, including messing with the country’s stability, to further their own interests. “From now on we need to be far more alert, far more cynical about our politicians.”

Mr Dawes shared his experience and said that the debates around The Spear were very painful considering where the nation has come from. He said the painting opened up painful pasts and difficult spaces. “It is up to the media to open up these difficult spaces.” He said the painting also brought up questions of how South Africans deal and live with pain. “South Africa must live with its past. The debate should now be how to preserve space for the country’s ghosts and how its citizens could get the resilience to deal with it.”

Ms Haffajee, who was caught in the crossfire between freedom of expression and human dignity and who refused to remove a picture of the painting from the City Press website, said that the media was viciously played by politicians.

“This had shown that achieving freedom took many lives, but it took very little to kill it.” She said The Spear is art that it is part of a rich cultural heritage of protest art.

Mr Malala said with the debates around The Spear painting, something died in South Africa. “The debate was taken away from us. We let politicians get to us.”

After the panellists delivered their presentations, Prof. Jansen led a discussion session between the audience and the panellists.
 

 

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