Jo Dec 20, 2024

Research for new deposits using the satellite image analysis method has already been carried out by many previous researchers. Studies to predict mineral prospecting sites by satellite image analysis have been mostly conducted to identify mineralized alteration zones and to detect linear structures.

Satellite image analysis generally begins with remote sensing. The integrated data is prepared for the user. In this stage, the integrated data is interpreted by various methods. In data interpretation, images are interpreted to identify various phenomena with regard to their importance.

It is widely accepted that hydrothermal alteration plays an important role in ore formation. The desirable distribution of alteration zones around the limited borders of an ore body facilitates outdoor exploration activities. Generally, hydrothermal alteration processes lead to emanation of clay and other silicate minerals, including kaolinite, sericite, quartz, chlorite, epidote, and calcite. The application of both spectral and statistical analyses of remotely sensed data can identify the above-mentioned minerals and explore the buried deposits. Hydrothermal alteration zones can be recognized from the spectral characteristics of main mineral assemblages.

Based on the spectral characteristics of main mineral assemblages, Ra Chung Yol, a section head at the Faculty of Earth Science and Technology, has determined the distribution of the hydrothermal alteration zone in the study area, using band-ratio analysis, principal component analysis, and colorimetric synthesis methods.

He has concluded that the hydrothermal alteration zone in the study area was widely distributed over an area of 2 000m×200m above the surface under the control of the ore-bringer structure, especially at the contact with the alkaline rock mass.