Copper, Zinc, and Lead Mineral Prospectivity Mapping in the North of Tafresh, Markazi Province, Central Iran, Using the AHP-OWA Method

Abstract

The reason of this research is to identify the favorable areas for copper, zinc, and lead mineralization in the western part of the 1:100,000 Tafresh geological Sheet in the Urmia-Dokhtar structural zone of Iran. Effective data layers for mineralization, such as geology, geochemistry, structures, and satellite images, were analyzed and then integrated using the AHP-OWA method to identify favorable areas. Geochemical stream samples were analyzed by univariate, multivariate, and classical statistical methods and revealed the first, second, and third class anomalies for copper, zinc, and lead in the study region. Detection of hydrothermal alteration zones by Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite imagery in various algorithms, such as Relative absorption Band Depth (RBD), Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF), and Least Square Fit (LS-Fit), shows that argillic, phyllic, propylitic, and iron oxide alterations develop around the faults in the area under study. The favorable areas for copper, zinc, and lead mineralization have been identified by a combination of evidence maps of lithology, faults, dikes, geochemistry, and alteration data layers. Field observations in the area under study have confirmed the results.

Application of Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, ASTER and WorldView-3 Spectral Imagery for Exploration of Carbonate-Hosted Pb-Zn Deposits in the Central Iranian Terrane (CIT)

“…Remote sensing satellite imagery has been successfully utilized to detect the major hydrothermal alteration minerals associated with the carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn deposits in metallogenic provinces around the world [5,[16][17][18][19]. In this investigation, multiple sources of spectral data derived from Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, ASTER and WV-3 sensors were utilized for detailed mapping a variety of hydrothermal alteration minerals in the central part of the KKTZ region, the CIT, Iran.…”

“…Nowadays, many satellite remote sensing datasets are accessible freely and can be extensively used for mineral exploration projects [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Pb-Zn sulfide mineralization is typically associated with hydrothermal alteration zones, the contact boundaries of lithological units and structural features such as faults and fractures [5,[16][17][18][19]. According to World Bank Commodities Price Forecast (WBCPF), the price and consumption of Pb and Zn are increasing annually [20].…”

“…Besides, gossans as oxidation products of sulphide mineralized rocks are documented with carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn mineralization [25]. Particularly, studies on carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn deposits in Iran, India, China and Greenland have shown the possibility to identify hydrothermal alteration and iron oxides associated with Pb-Zn deposits using Landsat-8 and ASTER satellite imagery [5,[16][17][18][19]. The application of multi-sensor remote sensing satellite imagery and fusing the most informative alteration thematic layers using geostatistical models can provide a low-cost exploration approach for generating remote sensing-based prospectivity maps [15].…”

Mapping and litho‐geophysical classification of potential mining areas by spatial remote sensing and helicopter‐borne gamma‐ray spectrometry (Tikirt, Anti‐Atlas, Morocco)

“…The ratio of bands 4 to 3 () of the ASTER sensor is one of the commonly used ratios for iron oxides (Rouskov et al., 2005). Argillic alterations resulting from transformation to clay minerals such as kaolinite and alunite are detected using () (Niyeh et al., 2017; Rowan & Mars, 2003). Sericite and muscovite are often the result of phyllic alterations, which can be mapped using () (Niyeh et al., 2017).…”

“…Argillic alterations resulting from transformation to clay minerals such as kaolinite and alunite are detected using () (Niyeh et al., 2017; Rowan & Mars, 2003). Sericite and muscovite are often the result of phyllic alterations, which can be mapped using () (Niyeh et al., 2017). Finally, carbonate, chlorite and epidote rich zones associated with propylitic alteration are targeted using the ratio of bands 7 to 8 () (Rowan et al., 2003).…”