Abstract
This study aims to discriminate and to map the basement rocks as well as the barite mineralization exposed at El Hudi area, Southeastern Desert, Egypt using the processed short-wave infrared bands of advanced space-borne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) in collaboration with the field verification and petrographic analysis. El Hudi area is covered dominantly by the Late Precambrian high-grade metamorphic complex of metasedimentary rocks (gneisses, schists, migmatites, and minor amphibolites) which are intruded by the younger granitoids. Nubian sandstones unconformably overlie the basement outcrops and occur as a remnant caps. The metasedimentary rocks cover the area of interest forming a belt of biotite gneisses and migmatites intercalated with hornblende biotite schists and minor amphibolites. Their exposures exhibit well-foliated and banded structures. The metasedimentary rocks have gray and dark gray image signatures on the ASTER band ratio image 8/5, which correspond to biotite gneiss, migmatites, and hornblende biotite schists, respectively. Presence of absorption feature near band 8 (2.295 - 2.365 mu m) for the chlorite alteration product is probably responsible for the lowering of the 8/5 band ratio value and the dark gray image signature exhibited by hornblende biotite schists. The granitoid rocks in El Hudi area are late to postorogenic younger granitoids including three main rock types, Abu Aggag granites, El Hudi garnetiferous muscovite granites, and coarse-grained biotite granites. The acidic dykes are cutting across the granitoids and the gneisses and they form a highly elevated ridges and peaks showing sharp contact with the invaded rocks. Abu Aggag granites are highly dissected by great number of both strike- and dip-slip faults as well as joints trending in NNW-SSE, NNE-SSW, N-S, ENE-WSW, and WNW-ESE directions. On 7/8 band ratio image, Abu Aggag granites have dark gray image signature whereas postgranitic dykes have white image signature. Under the microscope, Abu Aggag granites are homogenous medium to coarse-grained rocks composed mainly of quartz, plagioclase, microcline, and biotite. Zircon, apatite, and opaques are accessories, while chlorite, kaolinite, and epidote are secondary minerals. Presence of absorption feature around band 7 (2.235-2.285 mu m) for the kaolinite mineral may be responsible for the dark gray image signature exhibited by Abu Aggag granites. El Hudi garnetiferous muscovite granites are hosting El Hudi barite veins which extend mainly in NNW-SSE and NW-SE. Garnetiferous muscovite granites have gray image signature on 5/4 band ratio image whereas pegmatites and postgranitic dykes have black image signature. Barite veins can be distinguished within garnetiferous muscovite granites by their dark gray image signature on 5/4 band ratio image. The spectral reflectance curve of barite exhibits absorption feature around 2.1 mu m (band 5), which leads to lower the ratio value and yields the dark image signature to barite veins. The above-described ASTER band ratio images were integrated into one false-color composite image (8/5:R; 5/4G; and 7/8B) which was used to produce 1:100,000 geological map for El Hudi area and to locate the barite mineralization.