Revealing Potential Mineralization Zones Utilizing Landsat-9, ASTER and Airborne Radiometric Data at Elkharaza-Dara Area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The present work enhances mineral exploration in Egypt’s Eastern Desert by mapping lithological units and identifying hydrothermal alteration zones, potentially leading to the discovery of economically viable mineral deposits. This study employs a comprehensive approach of integrating multispectral bands from Landsat-9 and ASTER images with airborne radiometric data. Various image enhancement techniques such as False Color Composite (FCC), Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) are utilized to map enhanced lithological units. Additionally, image classification techniques, including Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Crosta Principal Component (CROSTA PC), are applied to emphasize hydrothermal alteration minerals like alunite, calcite, hematite, illite, chlorite, epidote, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and sericite. Furthermore, radioelement ratios (eU/eTh, eU/K, eTh/K, and eU-(eTh/3.5)) and the F-parameter (K*(eU/eTh)) are utilized. Mineral percentages are determined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), allowing for the observation of ore minerals from the Elkharaza-Dara area deposits, which exhibit varying compositions. Maximum values are recorded for specific elements: aluminum (10.48 wt% Al), silicon (65.38 wt% Si), silver (0.32 wt% Ag), copper (2.65 wt% Cu), gold (5.25 wt% Au), potassium (4.32 wt% K), hafnium (3.84 wt% Hf), calcium (26.94 wt% Ca), carbon (56.92 wt% C), and oxygen (53.71 wt% O). These findings offer valuable insights into the elemental composition of the mineralized deposits in the study area. The multi-algorithm integration approach has been confirmed through various methods, including comparison with existing geological maps, fieldwork, and microscopic analysis of selected samples from alteration zones across the study area.