How a basement fault has controlled Pb- Zn ore deposition within the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt? a focus on remote sensing approaches

ABSTRACT

The Zagros fold and thrust belt as one of the structurally complex areas have been considered chiefly only for hydrocarbon reserves, despite having other mineral deposits like the Surmeh lead and Zinc mine. This study was conducted in the Fars region, one of the structural zones in the Zagros, to detect hydrothermal alteration minerals associated with Pb–Zn mineralization and fracture distribution using ASTER, Landsat 8, and Sentinel 2 satellite imagery. Using different algorithms and approaches, we demonstrate the interesting distribution of Pb-Zn-related mineral deposits controlled by structures on different scales. These methods included the spectral band ratios and spectral angle mapping for alteration detection and manual extraction of structural lineaments (i.e. fault and fractures) from ETM+. Also, an augmented circular scanline method, along with areal sampling, was used to prepare a fracture intensity map of the area. According to the results, the intersection of NW-SE and N-S trending fracture sets are promising areas for Pb-Zn-related mineral exploration. These fracture sets are likely associated with the main Karebas tear fault and its horsetail splay terminal. The findings of this study were validated by field observation of the Pb-Zn deposit and its related mineral associations in the area.

KEYWORDS:

• Zagros
• Fars region
• Dadenjan anticline
• Fracture distribution
• Mineral exploration

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the research deputy of the University of Isfahan for their support. Also, the comments by three anonymous reviewers were constructive and improved the study a lot.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).