This study used the ability of remote sensing technology to identify alteration zones in porphyry copper mining and Iron oxides of area in south Nain district in Iran by using Lands at-8 data source. The band ratio of 3/2 derived from image spectra was used to indicate the distribution of iron oxides and 6/3 for identifying gossan. Hydrothermal alteration mineral zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization identified and discriminated based on two algorithms of target detection, MTTCIMF and OSP. Those techniques identified porphyry copper mineralization in study area and six points were diagnosed as the best location for ore exploration. For more accurate study and recognition between mineralization and tectonic structure of district, the lineament map of area was produced by applying Gaussian high-pass filter on IRS data. The Spatial distribution of hydrothermal alteration zones has been verified by inspection in field works and Fuzzy logic. Results showed that image processing techniques have a great ability to obtain comprehensive information for reconnaissance stage of porphyry copper exploration in the case study and assist researcher to explore porphyry copper and iron oxides regions before time-consuming and costly ground investigation.
Sabins, F.F. (1999) Remote Sensing for Mineral Exploration. Ore Geology Reviews, 14, 157-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1368(99)00007-4
Mars, J.C. and Rowan, L.C. (2006) Regional Mapping of Phyllic- and Argillic-Altered Rock in the Zagros Magmatic Arc, Iran, Using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Data and Logical Operator Algorithms. Geosphere, 2, 161-186. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES00044.1
Zhang, X., Pazner, M. and Duke, N. (2007) Lithologic and Mineral Information Extraction for Gold Exploration Using ASTER Data in the South Chocolate Mountains (California). ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 62, 271-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2007.04.004
Gabr, S., Ghulam, A. and Kusky, T. (2010) Detecting Areas of High-Potential Gold Mineralization Using ASTER Data. Ore Geology Reviews, 38, 59-69.
Hunt, G.R. and Ashley, P. (1979) Spectra of Altered Rocks in the Visible and Near Infrared. Economic Geology, 74, 1613-1629. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.74.7.1613
Ferrier, G. and Wadeg, G. (1996) Application of Imaging Spectrometry Data to Mapping Alteration Zones Associated with Gold Mineralization in Southern Spain. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 17, 331-335.
Ferrier, G., White, K., Griffiths, G., Bryant, R. and Stefouli, M. (2002) The Mapping of Hydrothermal Alteration Zones on the Island of Lesvos, Green, Using an Integrated Remote Sensing Data Set. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 23, 341-356. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160010003857
Abdelsalam, M. and Stern, R. (2000) Mapping Gossans in Arid Regions with Lands at TM and SIR-C Images, the Beddaho Alteration Zone in Northen Erittea. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 30, 903-916. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-5362(00)00059-2
Hunt, G.R. (1977) Spectral Signatures of Particulate Minerals in the Visible and near Infrared. Geophysics, 42, 501-513. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440721
Crowley, J.K. and Vergo, N. (1988) Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectra of Mixtures of Kaolin Group Minerals: Use in Clay Mineral Studies. Clays Clay Minerals, 36, 310-316. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1988.0360404
Clark, R.N., King, T.V.V., Klejwa, M. and Swayze, G.A. (1990) High Spectral Resolution Reflectance Spectroscopy of Minerals. Journal of Geophysical Research, 95, 12653-12680. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB095iB08p12653
Dilles, J.H. and Einaudi, M.T. (1992) Wall-Rock Alteration and Hydrothermal Flow Paths about the Ann-Mason Porphyry Copper Deposit, Nevada-a 6-km Vertical Reconstruction. Economic Geology, 87, 1963-2001. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.87.8.1963
Spatz, D.M., Wilson, R.T., Pierce, F.W. and Bolm, J.G. (1995) Remote Sensing Characteristics of Porphyry Copper Systems, Western America Cordillera. Arizona Geological Society Digest, 20, 94-108
Dalton, J.B., Bove, D.J., Mladinich, C.S. and Rockwell, B.W. (2004) Identification of Spectrally Similar Materials Using the USGS Tetracorder Algorithm: The Calcite-Epidot-Chlorite Problem. Remote Sensing of Environment, 89, 455-466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2003.11.011
Rowan, L.C., Schmidt, R.G. and Mars, J.C. (2006) Distribution of Hydrothermally Altered Rocks in the RekoDiq, Pakistan Mineralized Area Based on Spectral Analysis of ASTER Data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 104, 74-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.05.014
Hovis, W.A. (1965) Infrared Reflectivity of Iron Oxide Minerals. Icarus, 4, 425-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(65)90048-5
Ghorbani, M. (2013) The Economic Geology of Iran: Mineral Deposits and Natural Resource. Springer, Netherlands.
Hossein, S., Mokhtari, A. and Tehrani, E.N. (2014) Effects of Land Use/Land Cover Changes on Surface Runoff (A Case Study in Siahroud Watershed, Iran). Elixir Remote Sensing, 74, 26867-26870.
Mohammadian, M., Arfania, R. and Sahour, H. (2017) Evaluation of SEBS Algorithm for Estimation of Daily Evapotranspiration Using Lands at-8 Dataset in a Semi-Arid Region of Central Iran. Open Journal of Geology, 7, 335-347.
Hossein, S., Mokhtari, A. and Ghahfarokhi, S.S. (2016) Rainfall-Runoff Modeling Using Remotely Sensed Data and Hydrologic Modeling System. Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper, 22, 1725-1745.
Inzana, J., Kusky, T., Higgs, G. and Trucker, R. (2003) Supervised Classifications of Lands at TM Band Ratio Images and Lands at TM Band Ratio Image with Radar for Geological Interpretation of Central Madagscar. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 37, 59-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-5362(03)00071-X
Ali, A. and Pour, A.B. (2014) Lithological Mapping and Hydrothermal Alteration Using Landsat 8 Data: A Case Study in Ariab Mining District, Red Sea Hills Sudan. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 3, 199-208.
Kumar, C.H., Shetty, A., Raval, S., Champatiray, P.K. and Sharma, R. (2014) Sub-Pixel Mineral Mapping Using EO-1 Hyperrion Hyperspectral Data. The International Archives of the Photo-grammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XL-8, 455-461.
Rockwell, B.W. and Hofstra, A.H. (2008) Identification of Quartz and Carbonate Minerals across Northern Nevada Using ASTER Thermal Inferared Emissivity Data—Implications for Geologic Mapping and Mineral Resource Investigations in Well-Studied and Frontier Area. Geosphere, 4, 218-246.
Gad, S. and Kusky, T. (2007) ASTER Spectral Ratioing for Lithological Mapping in the Arabian-Nubian Shield, the Neoproterozoic Wadi Kid Area, Sinai, Egypt. Gondwana Research, 11, 326-335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2006.02.010
Kruse, F.A., Perry, S.L. and Caballero, A. (2006) District Level Mineral Survey Using Airborne Hyperspectral Data, LosMenucos, Argentina. Annals of Geophysics, 49, 83-92.
Magendran, T. and Sanjeevi, S. (2013) Hyperion Image Analysis in the Part of Noamundi, Eastern India. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 26, 413-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2013.09.004
Molan, Y.E., Refali, D., Tarashti, A.H. (2014) Mineral Mapping in the Maherabad Area, Eastern Iran, Using HyMap Remote Sensing Data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 27, 117-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2013.09.014
Zhang, X. and Li, P. (2014) Lithological Mapping from Hyperspectral Data by Improved Use of Spectral Angle Mapper. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 31, 95-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2014.03.007
Rahimzadegan, M., Sadeghi, B., Masoumi, M. and Ghalehjoghi, S.T. (2014) Application of Target Detection Algorithms to Identification of Iron Oxides Using Aster images: A Case Study in the North of Semnan Province, Iran. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 8, 7321-7331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1757-4
Jin, X., Paswaters, S. and Cline, H. (2009) A Comparative Study of Target Detection Algorithms for Hyperspectral Imagery. Proceedings Algorithm and Technologies for Multispectral, Hyperspectral and Ultraspectral Imagery XV. International Society for Optics and Photonics, XV 73341W, Orlando, Florida, United States, 27 April 2009. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818790
Ren, H. and Chang, C. (2000) Target-Constrained Interference-Minimized Approach to Subpixel Target Detection for Hyperspectral Images. Optical Engineering, 39, 3138-3145. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.1327499
Di Tommaso, I.D. and Rubinstein, N. (2007) Hydrothermal Alteration Mapping Using ASTER Data in the Infiernillo Porphyry Deposit, Argentina. Ore Geology Reviews, 32, 275-290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2006.05.004
Bassi, H.G.L. (1992) Hypothesis Concerning a Regmagenic Network Controlling Metallogenic and Other Geologic Events in the South American Austral Cone. Geologische Rundschau, 77, 491-511.
Dogan, H.M. (2008) Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System to Assess Ferrous Minerals and Iron Oxide of Tokat Province in Turkey. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 29, 221-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160701269010
Derakhshani, R. and Mehrabi, A. (2014) Geologically-Contrained Fuzzy Mapping of Porphyry Mineralization Potential, Meiduk District, Iran. Trends in Applied Sciences Research, 4, 229-240. https://doi.org/10.3923/tasr.2009.229.240