TerraSpec Halo versus TerraSpec4 Hi-Res

Many people are wondering how good the TerraSpec Halo is. I recently did a trial to find out for myself. I
measured a batch of 60 end-of-hole RAB chips from a Yilgarn greenstone project with both a TerraSpec
Halo and then a TerraSpec4 Hi-Res instrument so that I could directly compare the results. The three
plots below show some typical results for kaolinite, chlorite and sericite. The blue spectra were
measured with the TerraSpec4 Hi-Res and the red spectra were measured with the Halo.
FSFR.30023 Int=5.0 sec DefaultProject
Aux: 402.502 FSFR.23020 Int=5.0 sec
0.6
Reflectance
0.5
0.4

1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400

Wavelength in nm
 FSFR.30023 Int=5.0 sec DefaultProject
Aux: 402.507 FSFR.23020 Int=5.0 sec

0.3
Reflectance
0.2

1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400

Wavelength in nm

FSFR.30023 Int=5.0 sec DefaultProject

Aux: 402.518 FSFR.23020 Int=5.0 sec
0.8
0.7
0.6
Reflectance
0.5
0.4
0.3

1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400

Wavelength in nm

The most obvious difference is that the Halo consistently measured lower reflectance than the
TerraSpec4. Since the same lamp illuminates both the white reference and the sample, any difference in
illumination brightness is ratioed out. It is more likely that the differences in illumination and viewing
geometry between the two instruments are the cause since the degree to which light is reflected
depends on viewing and illumination direction. On the plus side, the spectra measured by the Halo are
not as noisy as those from the TerraSpec4. This is particularly noticeable in the 2400 to 2500nm range.
The difference in noise is due, largely, to the length of the fiber optic cable. While ultra low-OH fibers
transmit very close to 100% of the light for most of the TerraSpec’s wavelengths, they do begin to
attenuate the signal beyond about 2200 nm. Thus, the much shorter internal fiber optic cable (& no
external cable) of the TS Halo results in less noise beyond 2300 nm or so.

It had been suggested that the Halo was never going to be a replacement for a TerraSpec; it was
designed as a field instrument for on-the-spot use. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised to see just
how good the results were. What the Halo loses in terms of the reflectance levels, it makes up in the
quality of the spectra (ie lack of noise).
My preferred mode of operation for collecting spectral data is to use this as a systematic logging tool. I
think every core shack should be set up with a TerraSpec4, and there should be a protocol to measure 1
spectrum per meter on every hole drilled. In a core shack that is set up in a manner that allows the
spectra data to be collected in a production-line basis, the TerraSpec4 Hi-Res is the best instrument to
do this. I use the contact probe for drill core and the mug lamp for chips. However, this procedure
depends on having a set up where the instrument is easily wheeled around on a trolley, or where there
are roller racks to move the core past the instrument. I have worked in plenty of places where the set up
does not easily allow this. The Halo would be a great alternative in many core shacks.

However the place where the Halo will really come into its own is in the field. This is the first really
practical field spectrometer, which can very easily allow direct measurements of outcrops and rock faces
in mines. The custom software and mineral library looks quite reliable at least in terms of the dominant
mineralogy. There are 4 display slots on the screen to display interpreted mineralogy. The first is used to
show the VNIR result (if present), and the next three show the SWIR results. There is a star rating system
to show the confidence level in the SWIR mineral picks, not unlike the TSG mineral ratings.

PANalytical have put plenty of thought into the power requirements for practical usage. The instrument
comes with 3 very light weight Li batteries plus chargers. Each battery has capacity for 4 hours of
continuous usage, so there is no problem operating for 12 hour days.

Although PANalytical has designed its own software to deliver real-time mineral analyses, they have still
retained compatibility with The Spectral Geologist. Transferring data from the Halo to TSG is just as easy
as it was with the TerraSpec4. This is a great advantage when you are generating very large data sets.

If you are looking for a truly portable field spectrometer, the TerraSpec Halo does the job superbly.