Delineation of copper mineralization zones at Wadi Ham, Northern Oman Mountains, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Using Multispectral Landsat 8 (OLI) data

Journal Article

2020

Published in: https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.578075

Copper deposits in the ultramafic rocks of the Semail ophiolite massifs is found to be
enormous in the region of northern Oman Mountains, United Arab Emirates. For this study,
samples of copper were gathered from 14 different sites in the investigation area and were
analyzed in the laboratory using the X-ray diffraction, GER 3700 spectroradiometer, and
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer. Detection and mapping of copperbearing
mineralized zones were carried out using different image processing
approaches of minimum noise fraction, principal component analysis, decorrelation
stretch, and band ratio which were applied on Landsat 8 (OLI) data. The spectra of
malachite and azurite samples were characterized by broad absorption features in the
visible and near infrared region (0.6–1.0 μm). The results obtained from the principal
component analysis, minimum noise fraction, band ratio, decorrelation stretch, spectral
reflectance analyses, and mineralogical and chemical analyses were found to be similar.
Thus, it can be concluded that multispectral Landsat 8 data are useful in the detection iron
ore deposits in arid and semi-arid regions.

• Magazine \ Newspaper: Frontiers in Earth Science