REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF MINERAL DEPOSIT

Abstract

Studies on the use of Remote Sensing to highlight ore-controlling geological structures were performed. The research findings were obtained using a remote sensing database created from Landsat and ASTER data. As a result of this work, space-structural schemes of individual regions of Kazakhstan were built, and the main ore-controlling factors were determined. Besides, the areas for the detection of endogenous mineralization were identified accordingly. The selected digital satellite imageries provide a given research scale and have the maximum spectral resolution; therefore, they covered the research area in all possible spectral ranges. In spacestructural diagrams, the lineament morphology represents the faults, areas of increased fracture, geological boundaries, litter elements, dam bodies, and other elements of a geological nature. Under conditions of a weakly dissected relief, the multidirectional gradient methods and various filtering methods proved to be useful for distinguishing linear structures. When identifying ring and arc structures within the study area, the following functions were used: the boundaries of arcs and rings between blocks with different textures of space materials, boundaries of landscape heterogeneity, the morphology of arcs and rings. According to the scale, ring structures are conventionally divided into second-order and small structures. Structures with radius from 3 to 50 km belong to second-order ring structures, and small structures with a radius less than 3 km belong to small structures. Stratified complexes in the studied areas are divided into loose and lithified. Neogene-Quaternary proluvial, alluvial-proluvial, alluvial, aeolian and undifferentiated sediments are classified as loose. The lithified layered complexes fold into folds with a predominance of the northwestern strike. When identifying bodies of intrusive rocks, spectral libraries, texture features of satellite images, and the experience of the authors were used.