Spectral analysis and enhancement of Sureyan complex lithological units, northeastern of Fars, using satellite imagery data of ASTER and Sentinel 2

The specific capabilities of satellite data in providing information from the Earth surface materials provide a possibility for producing the geological maps, and in this regard, the spatial and spectral resolutions of the utilized data are two fundamental characteristics in determining the precision and accuracy of the maps. In this research, the data sets of ASTER and Sentinel 2, due to their high spatial and spectral resolutions, were used to enhance the lithological units of the Sureyan complex, northeastern Fars. The metamorphosed sedimentary-volcanic complex of Sureyan is part of the Southern Sanandaj- Sirjan Belt, in Bavanat, Fars province. Investigating the spectral features of field samples, measured at the Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, and the spectra extracted from the imageries indicated that the main functional groups responsible for spectral features were Fe2+, Fe3+, OH, CO3, Al-OH, Mg-OH, and Fe-OH. Based on the mineralogical studies, these groups could be attributed to the occurrences of chlorite, muscovite, epidote, amphibole, calcite, and hematite, which were approved by studies of microscopic thin sections. The band ratios (6+8)/7, (7+5)/6, and (6+9)/(7+8) were conducted on 9 reflection bands of ASTER, and the principal components analysis, on 9 reflection bands of ASTER and Sentinel-2. These processing methods were successful in discriminating the chlorite-epidote schist, calk-schist, mica-schist, and the basalt and quartzite dykes as well. Comparing the results of this study to the field observations and the results obtained by laboratory investigations revealed that simultaneous use of ASTER and Sentinel-2 data and the applied processing methods could be successful in discriminating the lithological units of a metamorphic-sedimentary-volcanic complex.