Multisensor Satellite Data and Field Studies for Unravelling the Structural Evolution and Gold Metallogeny of the Gerf Ophiolitic Nappe, Eastern Desert, Egypt

The gold mineralization located in the southern Eastern Desert of Egypt mostly occurs characteristic geologic and structural settings. gold-bearing quartz veins alteration zones are confined to ductile shear between highly deformed ophiolitic blocks, sheared metavolcanics, gabbro-diorite rocks. present study attempts integrate multisensor remotely sensed data, analysis, field investigation unraveling controls Gabal Gerf area. Multispectral optical sensors Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS (L8) Sentinel-2B (S2B) were processed map lithologic rock units Image processing algorithms including false color composite (FCC), band ratio (BR), principal component analysis (PCA), minimum noise fraction (MNF), Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) effective producing a comprehensive mafic index (MI) = (B13-0.9147) × (B10-1.4366) ASTER (A) thermal bands combined S2B (S2B3+A9)/(S2B12+A8) dramatically successful discriminating assemblage, that considered favorable lithology for mineralization. Three argillic, phyllic propylitic spatially recognized using mineral indices constrained energy minimization (CEM) approach data. datasets ALSO PALSAR Sentinel-1B subjected PCA filtering extract lineaments their spatial densities Furthermore, revealed area has been three main phases deformation; (i) NE-SW convergence sinistral transpression (D2); (ii) ~E-W far compressional regime (D3), (iii) extensional tectonics terrane exhumation (D4). several occurrences controlled by D2 D3 cut heterogeneously serpentinites, metavolcanic rocks intrusions. information extracted from interpretation fieldwork used produce potential which was verified reference observations. demonstrates remote sensing capabilities identification regions.