Exploration
Seyyed Saeed Ghannadpour; Morteza Hasiri; Hadi Jalili; Somayeh Talebiesfandarani
Abstract
The Zafarghand area (as a porphyry Cu deposit) is located in the northeast of Isfahan and southeast of Ardestan, which is a part of the Iran-Central structural zone, and more precisely, it is located in the Urmia-Dokhtar volcanic belt. In the porphyry Cu deposits exploration, identifying and determining ...
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The Zafarghand area (as a porphyry Cu deposit) is located in the northeast of Isfahan and southeast of Ardestan, which is a part of the Iran-Central structural zone, and more precisely, it is located in the Urmia-Dokhtar volcanic belt. In the porphyry Cu deposits exploration, identifying and determining the alteration zones is of special importance. The aim of the present study is to identify and highlight the alteration zones of Zafarghand area, with the help of the U-statistic method in the processing of ASTER sensor satellite images. Accordingly, considering the raster nature and digital form of satellite images, the digital number values of each pixel from the image matrices were considered as samples in a systematic network. Finally, the U spatial statistic algorithm was implemented as a moving window algorithm for determining anomaly samples in the set of digital number (DN) values of ASTER satellite image pixels. The results of this technique show that the application of the U-statistic method, considering its structural nature and neighboring samples in decision-making, has been successful and has proven to be very effective in determining the alteration zones in the Zafarghand area.
Seyyed S. Ghannadpour; A. Hezarkhani
Abstract
In several uranium (U) prospecting projects in Iran, particularly Central Iran, the association and enrichment of rare earth elements (REEs) are known as the usual features. Sometimes the association of REEs and U with high economic perspective has caused that the relation between the rare earth and ...
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In several uranium (U) prospecting projects in Iran, particularly Central Iran, the association and enrichment of rare earth elements (REEs) are known as the usual features. Sometimes the association of REEs and U with high economic perspective has caused that the relation between the rare earth and radioactive elements is taken into consideration in other types of mineralization, and if there is any relation, radioactivity will be applied in the exploration of REEs. In the current work, sampling from Baghak anomaly in the Sangan mines is carried out based on the radioactivity and radiation measurement methods (as the optimal sampling pattern). In fact, the goal of this work is to survey the presence or absence of such a relation in a skarn mine, which is a different case study from Central Iran. In the case of presence, this will lead to a new exploration method and sampling pattern for REEs. The mineralogical studies (based on the optical and electronic microscopic observations), statistical investigations, and geochemical analyses are applied in this research work. The results obtained from the statistical studies show that the Baghak anomaly due to involving a significant amount of U, Ce, and La and a high concentration of REEs can be considered as one of the important mines. Spider diagrams and their geochemical investigations include the features that are typical of the subduction-related magmas in the calcalkaline volcanic arcs of the continental active margins. The chondrite-normalized REE pattern shows the enrichment of LREE, and a positive pattern close to flat HREE due to the entry of LREE ions into the allanites network. The mineralogical study results also confirm that REEs (especially Ce) are accumulated as a solid solution in the allanite minerals. Moreover, from the mineralogical, geochemical, and statistical analyses, it can be observed that in addition to the presence of such a relation in the mentioned mineralization (Central Iran mineralizations), there is an acceptable correlation between these elements in the Baghak iron-skarn mineralization. Eventually, it can be said that the idea and introduced method for the exploration of REEs in this work could present a new viewpoint to the decision-makers of this industry.
