Application of Landsat-8 and ASTER satellite remote sensing data for porphyry copper exploration: a case study from Shahr-e-Babak,Kerman, south of Iran

Abstract

The Shahr-e-Babak region located in the Kerman metallogenic belt is one of the high potential segments of Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc for porphyry copper and epithermal gold mineralization in the south of Iran. This high potential zone encompasses several porphyry copper deposits under exploitation, development and exploration stages. The aim of this study is to evaluate Landsat-8 data and comparison with the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer data-sets for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones related to Cenozoic magmatic intrusions in Shahr-e-Babak region. Previous studies have proven the robust application of ASTER in lithological mapping and mineral exploration; nonetheless, the Landsat-8 data have high capability to map and detect hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper and epithermal gold mineralization. In this investigation, several band combinations and multiplications, developed selective principal component analysis and image transformations were developed for discriminating hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization using Landsat-8 data.     

Hydrothermal Alteration Mapping Using ASTER Data for Reconnaissance Porphyry Copper Mineralization in the Ahar Area, NW Iran

The Ahar area is located in East Azarbaijan province, and covers an area of about 2,500 km². Spectral mapping techniques were applied on VNIR and SWIR of ASTER data for discriminating between hydrothermal alteration zones and the identification of high potential mineralized lithological unit associated with hydrothermal porphyry copper mineralization in the Ahar. In this research to remove atmospheric and topographic effects from ASTER data, the log-residual method (LRM) was used. Four methods, Relative Band Depth Ratios (RBD), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) and matched filtering (MF), were used to processing and interpretation of remote sensing data in the study area. Results show that ASTER images provide preliminary mineralogy information and geo-referenced alteration maps at low cost and with high accuracy for reconnaissance porphyry copper mineralizations.     

A general framework of TOPSIS method for integration of airborne geophysics,satellite imagery,geochemical and geological data

This work presents the promising application of three variants of TOPSIS method (namely the conventional, adjusted and modified versions) as a straightforward knowledge-driven technique in multi criteria decision making processes for data fusion of a broad exploratory geo-dataset in mineral potential/prospectivity mapping. The method is implemented to airborne geophysical data (e.g. potassium radiometry, aeromagnetic and frequency domain electromagnetic data), surface geological layers (fault and host rock zones), extracted alteration layers from remote sensing satellite imagery data, and five evidential attributes from stream sediment geochemical data. The central Iranian volcanic-sedimentary belt in Kerman province at the SE of Iran that is embedded in the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Assemblage arc (UDMA) is chosen to integrate broad evidential layers in the region of prospect. The studied area has high potential of ore mineral occurrences especially porphyry copper/molybdenum and the generated mineral potential maps aim to outline new prospect zones for further investigation in future. Two evidential layers of the downward continued aeromagnetic data and its analytic signal filter are prepared to be incorporated in fusion process as geophysical plausible footprints of the porphyry type mineralization. The low values of the apparent resistivity layer calculated from the airborne frequency domain electromagnetic data are also used as an electrical criterion in this investigation. Four remote sensing evidential layers of argillic, phyllic, propylitic and hydroxyl alterations were extracted from ASTER images in order to map the altered areas associated with porphyry type deposits, whilst the ETM+ satellite imagery data were used as well to map iron oxide layer. Since potassium alteration is generally the mainstay of porphyry ore mineralization, the airborne potassium radiometry data was used. The geochemical layers of Cu/B/Pb/Zn elements and the first component of PCA analysis were considered as powerful traces to prepare final maps. The conventional, adjusted and modified variants of the TOPSIS method produced three mineral potential maps, in which the outputs indicate adequately matching of high potential zones with previous working and active mines in the region.     

Utilization of ASTER Data and Spectral Analysis to Discriminate Hydrothermally Altered Areas over Rabor,South of Kerman,Iran

This study attempts to evaluate the capability of the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) and the advantages of ground knowledge for generating maps portraying hydrothermally altered areas in relation to porphyry copper deposits. The northern part of the Rabor area in the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic belt, containing some copper mineralization occurrences, was investigated as a case study. Several image processing techniques, namely minimum noise fraction, pixel purity index, and n-dimensional visualization, contributed to the extraction of pure pixels as endmembers. The spectra of some rock samples collected around the well-known altered zones of the study area were resampled to ASTER bands and used to identify the image-extracted endmembers. Spectral analysis of the endmembers and ground sample spectra led to the identification of three types of hydrothermal alterations: (1) phyllic, (2) propylitic, and (3) argillic. The identified endmembers were used as the specified targets for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones over the study area by using a mixture tuned match filtering algorithm. Results demonstrate that high abundances within pixels correspond closely to the altered areas. Field observations, thin section, and X-ray diffraction of collected samples confirmed the accuracy of the alteration maps prepared by the application of the proposed methods. The final classified hydrothermal alteration maps showed the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient values of 85.41 and 0.72%, respectively. These results ascertain that ASTER data that use suitable image processing techniques appear consistent in mapping out the distribution of hydrothermally altered areas. In addition, ground knowledge data can act as a valuable information source to increase the image classification accuracy and reliability.     

Remote sensing of Carhuarazo volcanic complex using ASTER imagery in Southern Peru to detect alteration zones and volcanic structures – a combined approach of image processing in ENVI and ArcGIS/ArcScene

A combined approach to detect hydrothermal alteration zones and their mineral distribution is proposed for a relatively remote area around the Carhuarazo volcanic complex in southern Peru encompassing 2222 km². In this region, tertiary volcanic structures associated with hydrothermal alteration are well known to host epithermal ore deposits. We make an attempt to detect and to quantify alteration minerals based on spectral analysis using ASTER reflectance data product provided by LP-DAAC. Besides commonly used ratio images, mineral indices (MI) and relative band depth images (RBD), we also extracted endmember spectra using Pixel-Purity-Processing preceded by minimum noise fraction transformation. These spectra are thought to represent the spectrally purest pixel of the image and show the typical absorption features of the main constituents. Based on this assumption, we used different spectral analysis methods in order to extract the most important alteration minerals for such an environment. These minerals were then used for matched filter processing in areas showing high values in MIs and RBDs. Using this method, we detected and mapped argillic alteration and variations in the distribution of important minerals like alunite, kaolinite or nacrite. There were no indications for the presence of propilitization at ASTER spatial resolutions. Our method can be applied easily to any ASTER scene and provides information about the intensity of alteration and the character of alteration zones. The intensity is highest in the centre of the Carhuarazo volcanic complex and is mostly argillic with a high content of alunite, dickite and other clay minerals.     

陆地卫星TM及JERS-1卫星SAR数据用于西藏东部斑岩铜矿勘查

本文介绍了利用陆地卫星TM及JERS-1卫星SAR数据在西藏东部地区进行斑岩铜矿勘查项目的早期研究成果。文中通过对现有地质资料的分析认为,研究区内的矿化作用除受三叠系火山岩建造控制外,还与喜山期的中酸性侵入体有关。而陆地卫星TM图像的解译结果表明,区内的主要矿床几乎都分布在与三叠纪古火山机构相关的环形构造内。为了增强和提取出与斑岩铜矿化有关的蚀变岩信息,研究中采用了对数残差、矿物指数和HSI变换等方法对陆地卫星TM及JERS-1卫星SAR数据进行了处理与分析,所提取出的蚀变信息与目视解译所发现的环形构造位置极为吻合。实践证明,遥感图像上的环形影像及蚀变岩石信息对矿产勘查有指示价值。     

大型斑岩铜矿的遥感信息探讨

遥感影像解译的不同规模级别的线性构造、不同类型的环形构造和线-环组合类型以及色彩异常影像是寻找斑岩铜矿,特别是大型斑岩铜矿床最有用的遥感标志。1.砂岩铜矿的规模直接与不同规模不同级别的线性构造相联系区域性斑岩铜矿带直接受大型区域线性构造带和它们的汇聚格局控制,这种区域线性构造带多为区域压性壳断裂或超壳断裂,在遥感图像上常显示为浅色带,其长度超过100km,被称为主干边缘线性构造带(处于隆起单元向坳陷单元过渡部位,靠近隆起单元一侧).此外,一系列次级线性构造往往与主干边缘线性构造成一定角度相交,共同形成一种贯通性构造,在遥感图像上也常显示为浅色线;并直接控制斑岩铜矿田的分布和矿床的定位,被称为横向线性构造,长度一般1km-100km,主要包括三种类型(略),均显示张性特征。事实上,与斑岩铜矿有关的蚀变矿化直接受控于更低级别的线性构造(断裂和裂隙),它们常构成统一的环状和放射状断裂、裂隙系统。2.不同组合的多层环形影像是斑岩铜矿的不同呈矿环块构造的映像几乎所有的斑岩铜矿都与环块构造有关,特别是Ⅲ或Ⅳ级环块(直径50km-500km,包括环隆、环陷及褶皱-断裂环块等).它们控制了斑岩铜矿的定位。     

朱诺斑岩型铜矿床外围遥感找矿预测

基于ETM+遥感数据源,利用ENVI遥感图像处理软件对云、雪被、第四系、水体、阴影等进行了掩膜;采用特征主成分分析技术对西藏自治区朱诺斑岩型铜矿床及其外围地区开展遥感羟基和铁染矿化蚀变信息提取,并进行了地质解译。据此圈定找矿远景区,为朱诺铜矿床外围地区开展找矿工作提供了先决条件。     

西藏多不杂斑岩铜矿ASTER遥感蚀变异常特征

采用ASTER数据,利用"掩模+定向主成分分析"方法提取了多不杂斑岩铜矿的遥感蚀变异常。对蚀变异常的特征、蚀变异常与地面蚀变对应关系、蚀变异常与已知矿体的关系等几个方面进行了初步探讨,认为利用ASTER数据提取的蚀变异常效果较好,为西藏自治区矿产资源潜力评价多龙铜矿预测工作区的最小预测区圈定提供了遥感依据。     

基于矿物光谱指数的蚀变信息提取——以西藏多龙铜金矿集区ASTER数据为例

矿物光谱指数是利用比值的方法增强Fe和含OH矿物在可见光、短波红外区间的吸收特征,进而提取蚀变矿物信息的一种方法。由于斑岩型矿床的蚀变分带特征明显,西藏多龙矿集区中集中了斑岩型、浅成低温热液型等铜、金矿床,通过矿物光谱指数的计算提取相关蚀变信息,对该区域的下一步找矿具有指导意义。本文采用矿物光谱指数(5+7)/6、(6+9)/8等方法提取了镁、铝两类羟基及铝羟基类下的高岭石等蚀变信息,采用5/4、2/1的方法提取了二价铁、三价铁的蚀变信息。经过与OLI影像采用PCA方法及野外实地勘查采样,证实了利用本文方法所提取的蚀变信息有效。     

Efficiency Evaluating of Automatic Lineament Extraction by Means of Remote Sensing (Case Study: Venarch,Iran)

One of the main geological evidence for many ore-bearing deposits and mineralized regions is the existence of points in highly fractured zones and the fragmentation intensity resulted from development of hydrothermal alteration along the fractures, the process leading to the occurrence of ore deposits. In this paper, a new algorithm has been proposed including a set of image processing techniques for detection the lineaments in satellite images by means of programming in MATLAB environment. The set of utilized methods includes line segment extraction by EDLine algorithm, merging line segments by Tavares method and linking the resulting line segments based on the collinearity and proximity criterion. The tectonic structures were stabilized by B-Spline curve fitting. The proposed algorithms were implemented on the ASTER image of a structurally multiple fractured region located in the central Iran, and the lineament map of Venarch area has been depicted. The results obtained from the proposed algorithms indicate a high accuracy of the operations detection of 80% for the reference map lineaments and the overall accuracy of the method is effectively reported as 62%. Combination of the above algorithms proposes a new method that precisely resulted in obtaining image processing of geological evidence for increasing the accuracy and decreasing the risk, before any field operations.     

Synergetic use of remote sensing and geophysical data for exploration of porphyry copper deposits, using GIS

Darrehzar porphyry copper deposit is situated in the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic assemblage of central Iran. In this paper, the integration of multiple geodata sets has been carried out using geographic information system for mapping lithology or hydrothermally altered rocks and also in selecting the best discriminating data elements for exploration of porphyry copper deposits located in areas with similar geological setting and climatic conditions. Principal component analysis is found useful for reducing large data sets into a few principal components. The integration of various geophysical data with SPOT image data through GIS has shown that the hydrothermal alteration and lithology can be mapped with more efficiency.     

ASTER Data Analysis for Mineral Potential Mapping Around Sawar-Malpura Area, Central Rajasthan

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) SWIR bands are used in identification of alteration zones which have developed during hydrothermal activity. Among the available methods of hyperspectral data analysis, PCA and RBD techniques are found to be useful in delineation of clay alteration and iron oxide zones. ASTER data analysis by PCA and RBD of (B5+B7)/B6 shows delineation of two distinct alteration zones with characteristic mineral assemblages viz. propylitic zone (chlorite, epidote, montmorillonite and calcite) and phyllic zone (illite, kaolinite, white mica and quartz). Iron oxide rich zones (gossans) have been delineated using ASTER band ratio technique (B2/B1). Geochemical dispersion of soil samples shows that Pb and Zn concentration is higher in phyllic and propylitic zones around Sawar and Malpura area respectively. Thus, ASTER data shows the potential in discrimination of metasedimentary rocks and delineation of alteration zones for targeting base metals around Sawar-Malpura area in central Rajasthan.     

结合PCA、多尺度分割及SVM的ASTER遥感蚀变信息提取

为了利用遥感影像进行更加精确的找矿预测,本文选择新疆东天山尾亚地区ASTER数据进行矿化蚀变信息提取方法研究.为了提高信息提取精度,本文提出了结合主成分分析(PCA)、多尺度分割和支持向量机(SVM)的遥感矿化蚀变信息提取方法.首先,分析ASTER数据的特征,选取各矿化蚀变信息的特征波段,对组合波段进行主成分分析,获得...     

Selecting optimum base wavelet for extracting spectral alteration features associated with porphyry copper mineralization using hyperspectral images

Extracting a set of meaningful spectral features could enhance the classification performance. This is particularly important in hyperspectral images where the dataset are very large and time consuming to process. Wavelet transform as a powerful decomposition tool in both low and high frequency components could play an essential role in extracting spectral features of target minerals. Selecting the optimum base wavelet is an important step in wavelet transform. In this research, two criteria to select optimum base wavelet were implemented on three wavelet series including Daubechie (db), symlet (sym) and coiflet (coif). Energy criterion involves entropy factor and energy-to-Shannon entropy ratio while matching shape criterion operates according to correlation coefficients. High ranking base wavelets in both energy and shape criteria, coif1, db3 and db7, are recommended to be utilized in hyperspectral image classification. Neural Network technique was used for classification and trained by means of mineral spectral features related to typical porphyry copper deposits. Non-Linear wavelet feature extraction was employed to select the efficient features as input data. The study area covered by Hyperion data contains two well-known porphyry copper deposits, Darrehzar and Sarcheshmeh, located in the Iranian copper belt. Based on classification error matrix, it is concluded that db7 through 12 selected features exhibits the maximum consistency with the field measured data and can be recommended as an appropriate base wavelet for detecting porphyry copper deposits.     

ETM+图像锰矿化蚀变信息提取与找矿预测

锰矿床浅层常含大量羟基、三价铁离子的现象使锰矿化异常在一定程度上可由羟基、铁染异常表征.由此提出采用波段比值、阈值分割、主成分分析等方法对ETM+遥感图像进行羟基异常和铁染异常蚀变信息提取,并利用GIS、结合已知矿点对提取的蚀变信息进行综合分析.以桂西-滇东南地区的锰矿为例,经过锰矿化蚀变信息提取与综合分析,验证了锰矿...     

Gondwana-Derived Terranes Structural Mapping Using PALSAR Remote Sensing Data

Gondwana-derived terranes are now separated by major faults or suture zone, which are rarely simple and easily recognizable lineaments. Different association of ore mineral systems such as deposits of sediment-hosted/orogenic gold and granite-related minerals is discovered in collision and subduction zones of the Gondwana-derived terranes. They are associated with large-scale, terrane-bounding fault systems and broad areas of deformation. Mineralization mostly associated with structurally-controlled complex lodes, veins, sheeted veins and veinlets in diverse orientations. Recognizing the structural significance of lineaments and curvilinear is very difficult in tropical, arid and Antarctic regions due to environmental obstacles. Remote sensing data could be used to detect geological structures associated with suture zones between Gondwana-derived terranes especially for large inaccessible regions where fieldwork is limited or nonexistent. In this investigation, the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) satellite remote sensing data were used to map major geological structures in the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the major structural zones in Sundaland, Southeast Asia, which forms the boundary between the Gondwana-derived the Sibumasu terrane and Sukhothai-Indochina arc. Structural features associated with sediment-hosted/orogenic gold deposits in the Central Gold Belt and tin mineralization in S-type granites in the Main Range were investigated using PALSAR data and comprehensive fieldwork. Results indicate that main faults strike along 340° to 350° that are intersected by many shear or lateral fault zones are high potential zone for gold mineralization in the Central Gold Belt. Hydrothermally alteration mineral zones and cataclastic rocks are also the other indicators of gold mineralized veins in the gold belt. High potential zones for tin mineralization are N–S strike-slip faults, fault zones and shear zones trending E–W, NE–SW and WNW–ESE in dissected crystalline granitic rocks that are associated with hydrothermal alteration zones in the Western Tin Belt. Lineament analysis using PALSAR satellite remote sensing data is a useful tool for mapping major geological structural features and detection of the boundary between the Gondwana-derived terranes and detailed structural analysis of fault systems and deformation with high potential for a variety of mineral resources, especially in tropical, arid and Antarctic regions.     

在铜官山老矿区内进一步找矿的几点意见

根据遥感图像解译,结合地面地质、物化探资料分析,对铜官山地区成矿控制因素重新进行了认识,认为铜官山地区铜金矿主要受隐伏岩体控制,特别是受岩浆分异晚期浅成侵入小岩体控制。同时北东、北西向深切断裂对分异岩浆上侵也起到了控制作用。据此提出了北东、北西断裂切割的菱块状构造边角部位、环形构造内部及宝山-笔山北西向断裂延伸部位可作为进一步找矿的远景地区。     

航天遥感技术在叶尔羌河中下游地区Au、Cu等多金属矿找矿有利地段预测中的应用研究

板块构造成矿理论认为西昆仑叶尔羌河中下游地区属于Au、Cu及多金属矿成矿远景区,但因其野外地质条件恶劣,交通状况差,地质勘探极其困难而影响了找矿工作的深入开展,为此我们利用航天遥感技术的优势进行了找矿有利地段预测研究。在研究中首先对区域地质遥感影像特征进行了综合分析,并根据板块构造成矿理论对矿化作用进行了空间划分和成矿条件总结。在此基础上,通过成矿相关影像特征信息的提取,圈定出Au、Cu及多金属矿成矿有利地段。