Assessment of Mineralization Potential in the Tachoukachte Region (Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco) Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry and Remote Sensing Data
摘要
This study integrates ASTER satellite imagery and airborne gamma-ray spectrometry to detect and map hydrothermal alterations while assessing mineral prospectivity in the Tachoukachte region (central Anti-Atlas, Morocco), where alteration footprints are spatially discontinuous and overprinted by complex lithological and structural variability, making single-dataset mapping uncertain. ASTER imagery was utilized to identify key argillic, phyllic, propylitic, iron-oxide, and serpentinite-related alterations using band ratio techniques and Selective Principal Component Analysis (SPCA). Concurrently, airborne gamma-ray spectrometry enabled the mapping of potassic alterations by analyzing the concentrations of radioactive elements (K (%), eU (ppm), eTh (ppm)) along with the K/eTh, K/eU ratios and the F-parameter, providing an independent radiometric proxy for hydrothermal enrichment. To integrate these datasets, we implemented a fuzzy logic-based multi-criteria model combining alteration maps derived from remote sensing with those generated through gamma-ray spectrometry, thereby reducing subjectivity in target delineation and improving spatial consistency of prospectivity predictions. This approach resulted in the development of a mineral prospectivity map, identifying five zones with favorable characteristics for follow-up mineral exploration. The study's findings were validated through field verification conducted in the five priority target areas, revealing extensive hydrothermal alterations linked to mineralization, supporting the reliability and transferability of the proposed integration workflow.