Identification of Promising Areas with Remote Sensing Satellite Data in Karijgan, Khosf- Birjand

This study aims to use the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) remote sensing data to identify promising areas and design a targeted preliminary survey in the Karijgan area located in Khosuf-Birjand. Therefore, at first, necessary pre-processing, such as atmospheric and topographic corrections, was applied to the data. Then, from conventional processing methods on multispectral data, including band ratio, principal component analysis (PCA), and its improved type, the selective principal component analysis method (CROSTA), promising areas were identified. In this case, by using the band ratio method, index areas prone to iron oxides, silica, carbonate, chlorite and epidote, alunite, kaolinite and pyrophyllite, sericite, muscovite, illite, and smectite were identified. Also, with the Crosta method, various types of main alterations (propylitic, argillic, and phyllic) were determined. Finally, by combining the results, promising areas were identified for preliminary surveys. A check field and sampling of the identified areas were done to validate the processing results. The results of the sample analysis by ICP-OES and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed good agreement and accuracy with the results obtained from the remote sensing processing of the Karijgan area.