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

Abstract

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.