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Alteration Mapping by Remote Sensing Techniques in South Iran - A Case

Study
Iraj Navai & Simin MehdiZadej-Tehrani
Remote Sensing Group
Geological Survey of Iran (GSI)
P.O. BOX : 13185 - 1494 Tehran - Iran Fax : 60093378

Abstract
This study reports into mapping hydrothermal alterations as an aid to prospecting for
epithermal mineral deposits in the Orumieh - Dokhtar volcanic belt of Iran. The Sarcheschmeh
porphyry copper mine in the Pariz region was selected with a known alternation zone and ore
deposite as training site for design of enhancement techniques for application in high lighting of
hydrothermal alteration minerals.
The aim of this study was assess the effectiveness of TM data for detecting alteration zones.
For this purpose different techniques from combined rock and vegetation enhancement. Well
established method of algebraic operations among spectral bands, such as difference (Moore,
et al., 1993), ratio and principal component analysis can be applied for the purpose. A hybrid
P.C and difference colour composite achieved the most effective separation of hydrothermal
alteration (high, medium and low) could be appeared much clearly.
1. Introduction
The Sarcheshmesh copper and molybdenium mine operate or porphyry copper within a belt of
Palegene Neogene volcanics in the Pariz region of south-central Iran. The orebody is
contained in hydrothermally-altered sub-volcanic and intrusive rocks. A landsat thematic
mapper (TM) image (9/12/1990, orbit 161-39) has been used to identify area within Pariz
region which show the same spectral features as hydrothermal alteration in and near the mine
site. These newly located areas of hydrothermal alteration minerals field checked for
prospecting potential.
1.1 Geological Setting
The study area is located in South Central Iran within Orumieh - Dokhtar volcanic belt. The
district is mountainous, reaching altitudes of 3280 meters.
The Eocene volcano clastic and sedimentary rocks with thousand meters thicknes, including
trachy-andesite, tracky-basaltic iavas, pyroclastic, sandstone, shale and limestone are the main
our croppes in this area.
The volcanics overlie basement strata uncomformably and are themselves flanked and overlain
by Quaternary deposits.
The platonic rocks form discordant massives and stocks in the Eocene complex and
accompanies by numerous dykes. The intrusives are basically monzonite granodiorite with
transition to syenite.

The intrusions have thermally metamorphosed adjacent host rocks and created swarms
hydrothermal veins, some which contain bodies of minerals.
Hydrothermal activity has created extensive areas of aryillic alteration in both intrusions and
surrounding volcanic.
1.2 Remote Sensing Image
Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery is made up of seven spatially co-registered spectral bands.
Six bands (Tm bands 1,2,3,4,5 and 7) cover the spectral range from visible blue to the near
infra red (0.4-2.5 m). spatial resolution (30 meter pixels) in the six viznir band images allows
the imagery to be used at map scale as detailed as 1:50000. A seventh band TM6,
representing the thermal infra-red spectral range (8-11 m) was not used in this study because
of its lower spatial resolution (120 meter pixels).
2. Digital Image Enhancement and Interpretation
The first stage of the image enhancement programme was to chose the TM sab-scene of
geologically well documented and mapped area with known alteration zones (Pariz region) and
ore deposit (Sarcheshmesh mine) as "training site" for design of enhancement techniques for
regional application in both geological mapping and high lighting of hydrothermal alteration
minerals. For this purpose a sub-scene 36x36 km (1024 x 1024 lines/pixels) of Sarchehmesh
copper mine area was selected from a cloud free, complete 185 x 185 KM Landsat TM Scene.
2.1 Fakse Colour composite images for Rock Type Enhancement
The most suitable imagery for discrimination and delineation of out cropping rock types in the
study area are three bands colour composite images which produced by co-registered three
bands display using red, green and blue "VDU" colour gunes. The choice of image bands must
be on the basis of known spectral reflectance properties of the rocks and soils in relation to TM
bands.
In order to achieve the optimised colour presentation of the image, the three ands used for
colour composition must be carefully contract enhanced. In this study the best contrast
enhancement results, were produced by the Balanced contrast enhancement Technique
(BCET) (Liu 1991).
TM bands "BCET" colour composites were produced to illustrate the lithological variations,
soils and vegetation in the Pariz area such as :
TM bands 2,3 and 4 displayed as blue, green and red to illustrate the variations of rock types.
The colour composite of TM bands 1,3 and 5 displayed as blue, green and red achieves the
best discrimination of rock types and superficial deposits, in the test area. In this image the
volcanic rock type and the 01igoscene granodioritediorite coomposition intrusive bodies are
clearly highlighted.

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Alteration Mapping by Remote Sensing Techniques in South Iran - A Case

Study
2.2 Selective Enhancement of Agrillic Alteration and iron Minerals
Selective highlighting of ferruginous minerals of agrillic hydrothermal alterations in TM Imagery
requires different techniques from combined rock and vegetation enhancement. Well

established techniques of algebraic operations among spectral bands, such as difference

(Subtraction) (Moore, et al. 1993) and ratio (Goetz, et al, 1975) and principal component
analysis can be applied for the purpose.
In general, TM and ratios of 3.1, 4/2 and 5/7 selectively enhance ferruginous soils (red feature),
vegetation and clay minerals individually (Drury 1992). The difference images of the three TM
and pairs (e.g. 3-1.5-7 and 4-2) enhance the same phenomena but with much simpler
operation.
A colour composite of TM band difference images 3-1 in blue, 4-2 in green and 5-7 in red of the
Sarcheshmeh sub scene clearly highlights red soils and iron oxides in cyan, vegetation in
green and alteration zones in pink. This image is very effective fire enhancement of these three
main spectral features, especially the iron oxides but not adequate for exclusive detection of
alterations zones and their variation that is important for locating the high degree alteration
linking to porphyry copper ore deposits.
A hybrid PC and difference colour composite was then tried out based on the experiment of
interactive processing and spectral analysis of the target sites. This image is composted of
PC4 and PC5 (derived from six reflective spectral bands of TM) as red and green and
difference of TM bands 5-7 as blue. It suppresses the variation among different rock types
however enhances the alteration zones effectively. The zones with degrading degree of
alteration can be clearly distinguished based on the hybrid colour composite.
High degree alteration zone with porphyry copper ore deposit in pink. The well known
sorcheshmeh copper mine is in this zone.
Medium alteration zone with considerable copper minerization in mauve.
Low degree alteration zone with limited occurrence of copper mineralization in dark purple.
Ferruginous soils and iron stained rock outcrops are also well enhanced in dark green
Selected locations of the above alteration zones have been checked in field and the results
confirm that the technique discriminated epithermal alteration very successfully.
3. Conclusions
Landsat TM imagery of Pariz region in south-central Iran was processed for the purposes of
regional lithological mapping and mineral exploration for copper and related mineral deposits.
BCET enhanced TM colour composite of bands, 1,3 and 5 in blue, green and red was found
the most useful for lithological mapping.
Color composites of TM band difference images 3-1 in blues, 4-2 in green and 5-7 in red was
effective for mapping of iron oxide, epithermal alteration and vegetation, but not adequate for
evaluation of the degree of alteration. A hybrid color composite of PC5, PC4 and bands 5-7 in
red, green and blue exclusively enhanced the alteration zones. The alteration zones can be
categorized as three groups regarding degree. The high degree group links to the known
porphyry copper deposits directly.
4. Acknowledgement
We would like to take this opportunity to express thanks to Dr. M. Ahmadzadeh-Heravi general
director of the GSI, for his support. We thank to Dr. J.Mc. Moor and Dr. Liu J.G, Deptt. Of
Geology. Imperial college of London for their valuable suggestion and advice. We are grateful
to our colleagues in the Remote sensing group of GSI.

5. References

Drury S.A (1993). Image interpretationin geology second edition, London : Allen &
Unwin.
Report No Yu/53. GSI.(1973). Exploration for ore deposits in Kerman region 217P.
Liu J.G (1991). Balance Enhancement Technique and its application colour
composition. International Journal of Remote Sensing. Vol. 2. No. 10. P-2133-2151.
Lougblin W.P. (1991). Principal Component. Analysis for alteration mapping.
Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing; Sept. 1991, Vol 57. No.
Magee R.W, Moore J.MCM and Brunner J. (1986). Thematic Mapper applied to
mapping hydrothermal alteration in southwest New Mexico. In. proc. Fifth Thematic
conference on Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology p.p. 373-382.
Moore J.MCM, LIU J.G(1990). Image enhancement of epithermal gold deposit
alternation zones in southeast Spain.

Figure 1 Location map of study area

Figure 2 Colour composite of TM bands 5.3 and 1. with BCET enhancement for lithological mapping

Figure 3 Colour composite of difference bands (5-7.4-2 and 3-1) for alteration mapping

Figure 4 Hybrid colour composite of principal component 5.4 and difference (5-7), showing
different altered Zones

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