Using of remote sensing and aeromagnetic data for predicting potential areas of hydrothermal mineral deposits in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt

This article explored mineral resources and their relation to structural settings in the Central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt. Integration of remote sensing (RS) with aeromagnetic (AMG) data was conducted to generate a mineral predictive map. Several image transformation and enhancement techniques were performed to Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data. Using band ratios and oriented principal component analysis (PCA) on OLI data allowed delineating hydrothermal alteration zones (HAZs) and highlighted structural discontinuity. Moreover, processing of the AMG using Standard Euler deconvolution and residual magnetic anomalies successfully revealed the subsurface structural features. Zones of hydrothermal alteration and surface/subsurface geologic structural density maps were combined through GIS technique. The results showed a mineral predictive map that ranked from very low to very high probability. Field validation allowed verifying the prepared map and revealed several mineralized sites including talc, talc-schist, gold mines and quartz veins associated with hematite. Overall, integration of RS and AMG data is a powerful technique in revealing areas of potential mineralization involved with hydrothermal processes.

Multisource Data Analysis for Gold Potentiality Mapping of Atalla Area and Its Environs, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

In this research, airborne geophysical and remote sensing datasets were integrated for gold potentiality mapping (GPM) over the Atalla area in Central Eastern Desert, Egypt. Utilizing aeromagnetic data, detailed structural complexity maps were constructed using the center for exploration targeting (CET) procedure. Then, spectrometric gamma-ray data primarily located hydrothermally altered tracts with discriminating various rock units. The latter are precisely outlined by implementing various techniques (false-color composite (FCC), band ratio (BR), relative absorption band depth (RBD), directed principal component analysis (DPCA), and constrained energy minimization (CEM)) to ASTER, Sentinel 2 and ALOS PRISM datasets, with reference to the geological maps. The study exhibits that gold mineralization is structurally controlled by NW-SE direction. The findings of structural complexity and hydrothermal alteration (argillic, advanced argillic, phyllic, and propylitic) were used as weighted inputs for contouring gold potentiality. The resultant GPM accentuated five gold-promising zones; two are confirmed via locations of ancient gold mines, while the remaining three zones are strongly recommended for their gold potentiality.

Geological and Tectonic Setting of Andesitic Rock in Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Objective. The current study aims to detect the geologic features, geochemical characteristics and tectonic setting of the investigated rock using field observations and geochemical analyses. Research methods. This work contains both field work (Collection samples and drawing of a new geological map) and laboratory work (preparation of thin sections for petrographic studies by polarizing microscope), X-ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) in Institute of Biology, Southern Federal University and Mass-Spectrometer with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICPMS) at the central Laboratory of Russian Geological Institute. Result. Investigated andesitic rock belongs to Dokhan volcanic that located in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt a long Qena-Safaga Road. It is considered as one of the most important shear zones in Eastern Desert that includes distinctive rocks and economic mineral deposits. The investigated rock belongs to late to post tectonic magmatism of the East African Orogeny (EAO). Petrographically: Dokhan volcanic is represented by andesite according to petrographical studies. It consists of plagioclase, quartz, in addition to mafic minerals. Geochemically, the investigated andesite samples plotted in calk-alkaline nature. Conclusion. Tectonically, andesite samples fall in arc lava and continental fields. They are enriched in Ba, Sr, Rb, K, Nb and Ce with marked depletion in the most HFSEs like those of island arc calc-alkaline series.