Applying spectral analysis for identification of alteration zones in north Saveh area, Iran

An extensive series of volcanic rocks are exposed in the north of Saveh city, Iran, which consist of phyllic, argillic and propylitic hydrothermal alteration types. For the purpose of the investigation, a FieldSpec3® spectroradiometer was used to measure the spectral response of the mineral content of these rocks. The spectral analyses of reflectance curve by The Spectral Geologist (TSG) software could discriminate kaolinite and montmorillonite (argillic), illite, muscovite, phengite and paragonite (phyllic), hornblende and chlorite, siderite (propylitic), hematite and goethite from the gossans. It also detected gypsum of hydrothermal alteration zones. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) image, which was used for mapping the hydrothermal alteration minerals, contains the Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) wavelengths between 0.52 µm and 0.86 µm, Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelengths between 1.6 µm and 2.43 µm and Thermal Infrared (TIR) wavelengths between 8.125 µm and 11.65 µm with 15, 30 and 90 m spatial resolutions, respectively. For calibration of the ASTER images, the extracted spectra of different rocks and minerals were used for atmospheric and radiometric corrections. Mixture tuned matched filtering (MTMF) and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) were applied on ASTER data to map the hydrothermal alteration of minerals. The use of the spectroradiometry techniques in conjunction with other data exhibits the ability of these new methods for non-destructive and rapid identification of mineral types for more detailed investigation. The results show that the area has undergone different levels of hydrothermal alteration, so much so that phyllic, argillic and propylitic types of hydrothermal alteration are present in the study area. This may point to high potential and promising zones for the exploration of porphyry mineralisation.