Alteration Mapping in Barika Gold-Rich Massive Sulfide Deposit (East of Sardasht), Using ASTER and ETM Satellite Images

Barika area is located on south of Western Azerbaijan, Province, 27km. East in Sardasht. Gold-silver mineralization is located in a Cretaceous metavolcano-sedimentary sequence at northwestern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Major units in this area include Cretaceous Submarine volcano-sedimentary rocks. Host rock of mineralization is andesite to tracky andesite which is completely in Barika shear zone.The objective of this research, is finding hydrothermal alterations Zone by remote sensing technology and best processing technique of ASTER and ETM satellite image.In this research, different processing of satellite image such as Band Ratio method, principle component Analysis (PCA), Mineral Spectral Mapping have been used. In order to recognize alteration area, the authors used USGS laboratory spectral and Match Filtering algorithm and spectral of image for identification and delineation of the alteration minerals associated with gold mineralization. The obtained results of processing satellite images in this area showed different minerals such as sericitic, chloritic, calcitic, epidotic alterations, and Iron oxide minerals. Intense sericitic alteration is in the center of alteration system and chloritic, calcitic an epidotic alteration is in surrounding area.According to the field studies, Iron oxide minerals that observed with sericitic alteration are due to oxidation of sulfide minerals in mineralogy zones.The obtained results of processing satellite images in this area could be suitable guides for better discovery of this type of mineralogy in similar areas