ASTER spectral analysis for alteration minerals associated with gold mineralization

• ASTER classifications of alteration minerals associated with gold mineralization.
• USGS and JPL spectra of alunite, kaolinite, sericite, and calcite from show shifts in position, shape, and strength
• Spectral Information Divergence classification method proved successfulness for mapping sericite, clay minerals and calcite.
• Spectral Angle Mapper classification identified only sericite and calcite alteration minerals.
• This study presented a stable and reproducible technique for mapping gold related alteration zones in areas with no dominant vegetation cover.

This study presents classifications of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery based on spectral analysis of alteration minerals associated with gold mineralization in Abo Marawat area which is located in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. Spectral analysis of continuum removed reference spectra of alteration minerals alunite, kaolinite, sericite, and calcite from USGS and JPL spectral libraries show shifts in position, shape, and strength most probably related to changes in sample purity and particle size of analyzed samples. Spectral Information Divergence (SID) classification method proved successful for mapping sericite, calcite, and clay minerals. Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification identified only sericite and calcite alteration minerals. The identified alteration zones are coincidence with the field sampling and geological map of the study area. The microscopic examination of samples collected from the quartz veins and hydrothermally altered wall-rocks from near surface and subsurface at Abu Marawat gold mine shows sericitization, argillaceous, and carbonatization alteration zones. Gold occurs as very fine inclusions in pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite and also found filling the fractures between chalcopyrite grains. This study concludes that ASTER image classifications using reference spectra are a stable and reproducible technique for mapping gold related hydrothermal alteration zones in areas with no dominant vegetation cover.

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