TITLE:
Application of Airborne Geophysical and ASTER Data for Hydrothermal Alteration Mapping in the Sar-Kuh Porphyry Copper Area, Kerman Province, Iran
AUTHORS:
Mehdi Honarmand
KEYWORDS:
Porphyry Copper Deposit, Hydrothermal Alteration, ARTER, SAM, Airborne Geophysics
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.6 No.10,
October
7,
2016
ABSTRACT: Known
deposits are appropriate sites for investigating significant exploratory keys
that could be helpful in mineral exploration in corresponding regions or
similar areas. This study was performed to delineate hydrothermal alteration
model and some geophysical characteristics of the SarKuh porphyry copper
deposit located within the southern part of the central Iranian Cenozoic
magmatic belt (CICMB). Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection
Radiometer (ASTER) images have been used to produce hydrothermal alteration map
using a fractal-aided spectral angle mapper (SAM) method. Airborne data were
used to study magnetic-radiometric
properties of the deposit. Image processing of ASTER images and laboratory
studies proved the presence of two types of phyllic ale ration
called intense and weak phyllic based on abundance of sericite
mineral. It realized that radiometric anomalies of 40K, eTh and eU
are limited to boundary of phyllic zone. Radiometric ratios e.g. eTh/40K
were good enough to enhance phyllic zone.