The use of the weights-of-evidence modeling technique to predictive porphyry Cu potential mapping in Ahar–Arasbaran zone,Iran

The weights-of-evidence is a data-driven method that provides a simple approach to integration of diverse geo-data set information. In this study, we will use weights-of-evidence to build a model for predicting tracts in the Ahar–Arasbaran zone of Urumieh-Dokhtar orogenic belt (northwestern Iran) that are favorable for porphyry copper deposits. Weights of evidence are a data-driven method requiring known deposits and occurrences that are used as training points in the evaluated area. This zone hosts two major porphyry Cu deposits (The Sarcheshmeh deposit contains 450 million tonnes of sulfide ore with an average grade of 1.13 % Cu and 0.03 % Mo and Sungun deposit, which has 500 million tonnes of sulfide reserves grading 0.76 % Cu and 0.01 % Mo), and a number of subeconomic porphyry copper deposits are all associated with Mid- to Late Miocene diorite/granodiorite to quartz-monzonite stocks. Five evidential layers including geology, alteration, geochemistry, geophysics, and faulting are chosen for potential mapping. Weight factors were determined based on the applied method to generate last mineral prospectivity map. The studied area reduces to less than 11.78 %, while large zones are excluded for further studies. This result represents a significant area reduction and may help to better focus on mineral exploration targeting porphyry copper deposits in the Ahar–Arasbaran zone.     

Flood anticipation,reality, and uncertainty,the 2019 flood in Khuzestan,Iran

Natural Hazards - Despite the application of various methods to calculate uncertainty in flood vulnerability assessments, the challenge of uncertainty remains. The main purpose of this study was to...     

Enhancement of hydrothermal alteration zones using the spectral feature fitting method in Rabor area, Kerman, Iran

Rabor exploration area is in southeast of Kerman province, south of Urumieh-Dokhtar volcanic belt. Since there are many evidences of porphyry copper mineralization in this belt, prospecting and exploration of the intact and undiscovered places, especially the southern part of this belt, seems necessary. In this paper, use has been made of the “spectral feature fitting” (SFF) method to process ASTER satellite data (in Rabor exploratory area as a case study) for the identification and enhancement of hydrothermal alteration zones related to probable porphyry copper mineralization. The method is based on the comparison of absorption features in the image and the reference spectra. The distribution map of the indicator clay minerals, such as kaolinite, muscovite, illite, montmorillonite, alunite, pyrophyllite, dickite, chlorite, and epidote in Rabor exploratory area has been prepared with the help of this method. Identification and enhancement of alteration zones and overlaying Pay-Negin ore index on every individual zone reveal the capability and high efficiency of the SFF method in processing ASTER satellite data and preparing the distribution map of alteration minerals. Field and laboratory studies have shown that main alterations in this area are phyllic and argillic. These studies confirm the results obtained from remote sensing in the area.     

Hydrothermal evolution of Daraloo porphyry copper deposit, Iran: evidence from fluid inclusions

The Daraloo field is located in the southeast of Iran (Kerman province). It is associated with Oligomiocene diorite/granodiorite to quartz monzonite stocks. Copper mineralization is basically relevant to potassic and phyllic alteration zones. Petrographic and geologic studies imply that mineralization is restricted to two major parts locating in the center and east of district. The larger central mineralization has a northwest–southeast trend perpendicular to the smaller one. Hydrothermal ore fluid formation occurred in relatively deep levels thereafter faulting and fracturing provided appropriate conduits to ascend fluids through shallower depths. Early hydrothermal alteration produced a confined potassic assemblage in the central and eastern parts of the stock. Two main fluid inclusion groups in relationship with alteration ore fluids have been identified. They are liquid-rich inclusions containing solid phases, with high temperatures (257°C to 554°C) and high salinities (31 to 67 wt.% NaCl equiv.), and vapor-rich inclusions with high temperatures and low salinities without any solid phases. These magmatic source fluids are responsible for boiling and also potassic and phyllic alteration zone. They also resulted in the formation of quartz groups I and II veins and chalcopyrite deposition. Propylitic alteration is attributed to a Ca-rich meteoric fluid. Inclusions originated from this fluid are liquid-rich having low temperatures (161°C to 269°C) and low salinities (1 to 13 wt.% NaCl). Mixing descending meteoric water with magmatic fluids reduces considerably the salinity of magmatic fluid. Mixing is also the impetus of leaching copper from potassic to the phyllic zone. It is possible to conclude that all these procedures are controlled by the main faults of district having NW–SE trend. Two fundamental events affecting the mineralization are cooling ore-bearing fluids and magnetite (±pyrite) emplacement. The latter one is formed in potassic and phyllic alteration zone in which copper-bearing fluids have interaction with magnetite minerals and so chalcopyrite minerals have been formed nearby magnetites. Temperature and pressure of hydrothermal fluid differentiation could be applied as a predictive tool to discriminate between barren and productive copper porphyry deposits. A simple comparison of temperature and pressure variations between Daraloo deposit and other copper porphyry deposits located in the same belt of Iran (Sahand-Bazman belt) illuminates that Daraloo system has high range of pressure implying deeper exsolution of hydrothermal fluid. On the other hand, economic mineralization has direct relationship with temperature range of orthomagmatic fluids so that if a deposit has a wide range of high temperature fluids, it could be inferred as a barren deposit. In conclusion, it could be inferred that Daraloo district can be categorized as a sub-economic porphyry deposit. On the other hand, restricted formation of chalcopyrite and the other copper-bearing minerals besides large amounts of magnetite and pyrite can approve obviously the low grade of mineralization in Daraloo district.     

Optimally locating additional drill holes in three dimensions using grade and simulated annealing

Average kriging variance is a standard tool used in optimization of the location of additional drill holes. However, this tool cannot distinguish between areas with different priorities. This limitation could be eliminated by using weighted average kriging variance. This paper extends the problem of optimal location to three dimensional cases, use grade as a weight and search optimum locations by simulated annealing. Weighted average kriging variance is used as objective function. The method is applied to a copper deposit. Results have shown that weighting of the estimation variance with ??grade?? is effective only when the difference among the grades estimated for different blocks is considerable.     

Multiple-point geostatistical modeling based on the cross-correlation functions

An important issue in reservoir modeling is accurate generation of complex structures. The problem is difficult because the connectivity of the flow paths must be preserved. Multiple-point geostatistics is one of the most effective methods that can model the spatial patterns of geological structures, which is based on an informative geological training image that contains the variability, connectivity, and structural properties of a reservoir. Several pixel- and pattern-based methods have been developed in the past. In particular, pattern-based algorithms have become popular due to their ability for honoring the connectivity and geological features of a reservoir. But a shortcoming of such methods is that they require a massive data base, which make them highly memory- and CPU-intensive. In this paper, we propose a novel methodology for which there is no need to construct pattern data base and small data event. A new function for the similarity of the generated pattern and the training image, based on a cross-correlation (CC) function, is proposed that can be used with both categorical and continuous training images. We combine the CC function with an overlap strategy and a new approach, adaptive recursive template splitting along a raster path, in order to develop an algorithm, which we call cross-correlation simulation (CCSIM), for generation of the realizations of a reservoir with accurate conditioning and continuity. The performance of CCSIM is tested for a variety of training images. The results, when compared with those of the previous methods, indicate significant improvement in the CPU and memory requirements.     

Application of GPS in Traffic Management Systems

Integrated Traffic Management Systems (ITMS) need reliable, accurate, and real-time data. Travel time, speed, and delay are three of the most important factors used in ITMS for monitoring, quantifying, and controlling congestion. GPS has recently become available for civil applications. Because it provides real-time spatial and time measurements, it has an increasing use in conducting different transportation studies. This article presents the application of GPS in collecting travel time, speed, and delay information of 64 major roads in the state of Delaware. A comparative statistical analysis was performed on data collected by GPS, with data collected simultaneously by the conventional method. The GPS data proved to be at least as accurate as the data collected by the conventional method, and it was 50% more efficient in terms of manpower. Moreover, the sample-size requirement was determined to maintain 95% confidence level throughout the controlled test. Benefiting from the Geographic Information System's dynamic segmentation tool, our travel time, delay, and speed information were integrated with other relevant traffic data. This was presented graphically on the Internet for public use. Statistical trend analysis for the data collected in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 are also presented and applications on the overall ITMS are discussed. ? 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Geochemistry and petrography of REE-bearing Fe-oxide assemblages in Choghart iron deposit,Yazd, Iran

The Choghart magnetite-apatite deposit situated in the Bafq district, Central Iran, has been scrutinized for rare earth elements (REEs) by precise geochemical investigation. The Central Iran is a susceptible area of rare earth elements. One of the Choghart’s prominent points is the existence of hydrothermal zones which made prediction of REEs occurrence within the deposit possible. Choghart is placed within felsic volcanic tuffs, rhyolitic rocks, and volcanic sedimentary sections belonging to the lower Cambrian. Abundance and distribution pattern of REEs in Choghart iron deposits reveal a part of deposit formation and its mineralogical modifications. Petrography and mineralogy of the ore body demonstrated two main types of alterations (sodic and calcic) associated with iron ore mineralization in Choghart deposit. The main ore includes a large quantity of massive magnetite in the lower part of Choghart deposit. The minor mineralization involves apatite, pyrite, alkaline amphibole, especially actinolite and tremolite, calcite, talc, quart, monazite, and bastnasite. Geochemical sampling from north–northeast (N-NE) side of the mine denotes the presence of these elements in hydrothermal zones. Statistical populations of the area were categorized by fractal geometry into four main differentiations: host rock type (albitofyre), iron, metasomatose, phosphate zones, and a subset of the phosphate zone which is named high iron high phosphate type. REEs like lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium, and niobium constitute the most quantity of Choghart. Deposit characteristics demonstrate its similarity to Kiruna type. The significant feature of iron oxide-apatite deposits of Kiruna ore type is the existence of monazite inclusions within apatite. These inclusions were also observed within apatite type I and II of Choghart mineralization. Moreover, REEs geochemistry in Choghart deposit was identified by investigation on geochemical data analyses. The analysis represents negative Eu anomaly and further enrichment of light REEs compared to the heavy ones. Chondrite normalized REEs patterns are defined by negative anomalies of Eu, which is the main characteristic of Kiruna ore type. The results showed that REEs concentration in phosphate zone, as a high absorption of REEs, is much higher than metsomatose, albitofyre, and iron zones. REEs distribution in N-NE side of the mine indicated that the contact of iron ore with tailings in N-NW side of the mine leads REEs to be enriched nearly 1% , as well as that of NE with high contents of REEs 1.5% ), which is very significant.     

Hydrothermal evolution of the Sar-Cheshmeh porphyry Cu–Mo deposit, Iran: Evidence from fluid inclusions

The Sar-Cheshmeh porphyry Cu–Mo deposit is located in Southwestern Iran (65 km southwest of Kerman City) and is associated with a composite Miocene stock, ranging in composition from diorite through granodiorite to quartz-monzonite. Field observations and petrographic studies demonstrate that the emplacement of the Sar-Cheshmeh stock took place in several pulses, each with associated hydrothermal activity. Molybdenum was concentrated at a very early stage in the evolution of the hydrothermal system and copper was concentrated later. Four main vein Groups have been identified: (I) quartz+molybdenite+anhydrite±K-feldspar with minor pyrite, chalcopyrite and bornite; (II) quartz+chalcopyrite+pyrite±molybdenite±calcite; (III) quartz+pyrite+calcite±chalcopyrite±anhydrite (gypsum)±molybdenite; (IV) quartz±calcite±gypsum±pyrite±dolomite. Early hydrothermal alteration produced a potassic assemblage (orthoclase-biotite) in the central part of the stock, propylitic alteration occurred in the peripheral parts of the stock, contemporaneously with potassic alteration, and phyllic alteration occurred later, overprinting earlier alteration. The early hydrothermal fluids are represented by high temperature (350–520 °C), high salinity (up to 61 wt% NaCl equivalent) liquid-rich fluid inclusions, and high temperature (340–570 °C), low-salinity, vapor-rich inclusions. These fluids are interpreted to represent an orthomagmatic fluid, which cooled episodically; the brines are interpreted to have caused potassic alteration and deposition of Group I and II quartz veins containing molybdenite and chalcopyrite. Propylitic alteration is attributed to a liquid-rich, lower temperature (220–310 °C), Ca-rich, evolved meteoric fluid. Influx of meteoric water into the central part of the system and mixing with magmatic fluid produced albitization at depth and shallow phyllic alteration. This influx also caused the dissolution of early-formed copper sulphides and the remobilization of Cu into the sericitic zone, the main zone of the copper deposition in Sar-Cheshmeh, where it was redeposited in response to a decrease in temperature.     

SCOUR HOLE CHARACTERISTICS BELOW FREE OVERFALL SPILLWAY

1 INTRODUCTION Flow through hydraulic structures often issues in the form of jets. The jet velocities are usually high enough to produce sizable, even dangerous scour hole. The extent of the resulting scour depends on the nature of bed material and flow characteristics. The erosion process is quite complex and depends upon the interaction of hydraulic and morphological factors. Scouring may lead to: endangering the stability of the structure by structural failure or increased seepage, end…