Skip to main content

Successful spectral remote sensing techniques for mapping apatite mineral of phosphatic rocks at eastern side of Abu Tartur Plateau, Western Desert, Egypt

Arabian Journal of Geosciences volume 14, Article number: 1658 (2021) Cite this article

Abstract

Spectral remote sensing mapping methods were applied for mapping apatite mineral as a key indicator of phosphate ore outcrops at the eastern side of Abu Tartur Plateau, Western Desert, Egypt, using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Landsat series imagery. Previous investigations of known phosphate deposits reflect its economic importance and validates exploration potential for additional prospects. Remote sensing processing techniques were used to extract and interpret spectral data using the ASTER spectral library and well-known outcrops in the selected area. Different spectral target detection mapping methods were used and compared to adaptive coherence/cosine estimator (ACE), including matched filtering (MF), mixture tuned matched filtering (MTMF), spectral feature fitting (SFF), spectral angle mapper (SAM), and spectral information divergence (SID). ACE exhibited the highest discrimination for apatite distribution along the outcrop. The spatial distribution and intensity of apatite as an endmember within the study area is correlated to well-known phosphate outcrops zones and shows the potential for using ACE in targeting new prospects. A temporal comparison investigation within six separate time periods during the last 30 years showed the progression of mining in the area and founded correlated with the same detection sites. Such techniques applied to multispectral images demonstrate the effectiveness for mapping phosphate ore in the study area and in other regions for assessing the potential for mineral mapping with faster and cost-efficient.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

References

  • Abrams M (2000) The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER): data products for the high spatial resolution imager on NASA's Terra platform. Int J Remote Sens 21(5):847–859. https://doi.org/10.1080/014311600210326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvey B, Zare A, Cook M, Ho DK (2016) Adaptive coherence estimator (ace) for explosive hazard detection using wideband electromagnetic induction (wemi). In Detection and Sensing of Mines, Explosive Objects, and Obscured Targets XXI 9823:982309 International Society for Optics and Photonics

  • Amer R, El Mezayen A, Hasanein M (2016) ASTER spectral analysis for alteration minerals associated with gold mineralization. Ore Geol Rev 75:239–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Askari G, Pour AB, Pradhan B, Sarfi M, Nazemnejad F (2018) Band ratios matrix transformation (BRMT): a sedimentary lithology mapping approach using ASTER satellite sensor. Sensors 18(10):3213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baioumy H, Tada R (2005) Origin of late Cretaceous phosphorites in Egypt. Cretac Res 26(2):261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldridge AM, Hook S, Grove C, Rivera G (2009) The ASTER spectral library version 2.0. Remote Sens Environ 113(4):711–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beiranvand Pour A, Park Y, Crispini L, Läufer A, Kuk Hong J, Park TYS, Zoheir B, Pradhan B, Muslim AM, Hossain MS, Rahmani O (2019a) Mapping listvenite occurrences in the damage zones of northern victoria land, Antarctica using ASTER Satellite Remote Sensing Data. Remote Sens 11(12):1408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beiranvand Pour A, Park T-Y S, Park Y et al (2019b) Landsat-8, advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer, and WorldView-3 multispectral satellite imagery for prospecting copper-gold mineralization in the northeastern Inglefield Mobile Belt (IMB), northwest Greenland. Remote Sens 11(20):2430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Dor E, Kruse F, Lefkoff A, Banin A (1994) Comparison of three calibration techniques for utilization of GER 63-channel aircraft scanner data of Makhtesh Ramon, Negev, Israel. Photogramm Eng Remote Sens 60(11):1339–1354

    Google Scholar 

  • Boardman JW, Kruse FA (2011) Analysis of imaging spectrometer data using N-dimensional geometry and a mixture-tuned matched filtering approach. IEEE T Geosci Remote 49(11):4138–4152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caruso A, Clarke K, Tiddy C, Lewis M (2020) Airborne hyperspectral characterisation of hydrothermal alteration in a regolith-dominated terrain, southern Gawler Ranges, South Australia. Aust J Earth Sci 68(4): 590–608

  • Clark R, Swayze G, Gallagher A, Gorelick N, Kruse F (1991) Mapping with imaging spectrometer data using the complete band shape least-squares algorithm simultaneously fit to multiple spectral features from multiple materials. In Proceedings of the third airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) workshop 42:2–3. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Publication

  • Congalton RG (1991) A review of assessing the accuracy of classifications of remotely sensed data. Remote Sens Environ 37(1):35–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EGPC (1987) Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, CONOCO-Coral, The geological map of Egypt. EGPC, Cairo

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Anwar A, Ahmed E, Mekky H, Abdel Wahab WI (2019) P2O5–F-U characterization and depositional environment of phosphatic rocks for the Duwi Formation, Qussier-Safaga Region, Red Sea Coast, Egypt. Egypt J Chem 62(12):2213–2228

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Kammar AM (1974) Comparative mineralogical and geochemical study on some egyptian phosphorites from Nile Valley, Quseir area and Kharga Oasis Cairo Univ. (Unpublished thesis) pp 425

  • Filippelli GM (2011) Phosphate rock formation and marine phosphorus geochemistry: The deep time perspective. Chemosphere 84(6):759–766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujisada H (1995) Design and performance of ASTER instrument. In Advanced and next-generation satellites, International Society for Optics and Photonics 2583:16–25

  • Hunt GR, Evarts RC (1981) The use of near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the degree of serpentinization of ultramafic rocks. Geophysics 46(3):316–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwasaki A, Tonooka H (2005) Validation of a crosstalk correction algorithm for ASTER/SWIR. IEEE T Geosci Remote 43(12):2747–2751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jasinski SM (2006) Phosphate rock, Statistics and Information, US Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook 124–125

  • Jnawali K, Kerekes JP, Rao N (2018) Comparative study of spectral matched filter, constrained energy minimization, and adaptive coherence estimator for subpixel target detection based on hyperspectral imaging. In Algorithms and Technologies for Multispectral, Hyperspectral, and Ultraspectral Imagery XXIV 10644:106441V. International Socity for Optics and Photonics

  • Kraut S, Scharf LL, Butler RW (2005) The adaptive coherence estimator: a uniformly most-powerful-invariant adaptive detection statistic. IEEE Signal Proc 53(2):427–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruse FA (2012) Mapping surface mineralogy using imaging spectrometry. Geomorphology 137(1):41–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.09.032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruse FA, Boardman JW, Lefkoff AB et al (1993) The spectral image processing system (SIPS)–interactive visualization and analysis of imaging spectrometer data. Remote Sens Environ 44:145–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mars JC, Rowan LC (2010) Spectral assessment of new ASTER SWIR surface reflectance data products for spectroscopic mapping of rocks and minerals. Remote Sens Environ 114(9):2011–2025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mezned N, Abdeljaoued S, Boussema MR (2006) Mine tailings mapping using landsat multispectral imagery of the versant basin amont of Medjerda River in the north of Tunisia. In 2006 IEEE International Symposium on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IGARSS’06 1572–1575

  • Nuclear Materials Authority N (2010) Economic evaluation of U and REEs in Egyptian phosphorite ores, vol 2. Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, p 51

    Google Scholar 

  • Özkan M, Çelik ÖF, Özyavaş A (2018) Lithological discrimination of accretionary complex (Sivas, northern Turkey) using novel hybrid color composites and field data. J Afr Earth Sci 138:75–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pour AB, Hashim M (2012) The application of ASTER remote sensing data to porphyry copper and epithermal gold deposits. Ore Geol Rev 44:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2011.09.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pour AB, Park Y, Park T-YS, Hong JK, Hashim M, Woo J, Ayoobi I (2019) Evaluation of ICA and CEM algorithms with Landsat-8/ASTER data for geological mapping in inaccessible regions. Geocarto Int 34(7):785–816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajendran S, Al-Khirbash S, Pracejus B et al (2012) ASTER detection of chromite bearing mineralized zones in Semail Ophiolite Massifs of the northern Oman Mountains: Exploration strategy. Ore Geol Rev 44:121–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romero Guzmán E, Solache Rios M, Iturbe García J, Ordonez Regil E (1995) Uranium in phosphate rock and derivates. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 189(2):301–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabins FF (1999) Remote sensing for mineral exploration. Ore Geol Rev 14(3–4):157–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1368(99)00007-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safari M, Maghsoudi A, Pour AB (2018) Application of Landsat-8 and ASTER satellite remote sensing data for porphyry copper exploration: a case study from Shahr-e-Babak, Kerman, south of Iran. Geocarto Int 33(11):1186–1201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Said R (1990) The Geology of Egypt. AA Balkema, Rotterdam/Brookfield, p 734

    Google Scholar 

  • Salomonson V, Abrams MJ, Kahle A, Barnes W, Xiong X, Yamaguchi Y (2010) Evolution of NASA’s earth observing system and development of the moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer and the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer instruments. In: JC RB, Abrams M (eds) Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing, vol 11. Springer, New York, pp 3–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekandari M, Masoumi I, Beiranvand Pour A, M Muslim A, Rahmani O, Hashim M, Zoheir B, Pradhan B, Misra A, Aminpour SM (2020) Application of Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, ASTER and WorldView-3 spectral imagery for exploration of carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn deposits in the CENTRAL IRANIAN TERRANE (CIT). Remote Sens 12(8):1239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serkan Öztan N, Lütfi Süzen M (2011) Mapping evaporate minerals by ASTER. Int J Remote Sens 32(6):1651–1673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shawky MM, El-Arafy RA, El Zalaky MA, Elarif T (2019) Validating (MNF) transform to determine the least inherent dimensionality of ASTER image data of some uranium localities at Central Eastern Desert, Egypt. J Afr Earth Sci 149:441–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheikhrahimi A, Pour AB, Pradhan B, Zoheir B (2019) Mapping hydrothermal alteration zones and lineaments associated with orogenic gold mineralization using ASTER data: A case study from the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran. Adv Space Res 63(10):3315–3332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shirmard H, Farahbakhsh E, Pour AB, Muslim AM, Müller RD, Chandra R (2020) Integration of selective dimensionality reduction techniques for mineral exploration using ASTER satellite data. Remote Sens 12(8):1261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vignesh KM, Kiran Y (2020) Comparative analysis of mineral mapping for hyperspectral and multispectral imagery. Arab J Geosci 13(4):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorovencii I (2021) Changes detected in the extent of surface mining and reclamation using multitemporal Landsat imagery: a case study of Jiu Valley, Romania. Environ Monit Assess 193(1):1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wambo JDT, Pour AB, Ganno S et al (2020) Identifying high potential zones of gold mineralization in a sub-tropical region using Landsat-8 and ASTER remote sensing data: a case study of the Ngoura-Colomines goldfield, eastern Cameroon. Ore Geol Rev 122:103530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wassef AS (1977) The geological and the economic evaluation of Abu Tartur phosphorite deposit Western Desert, Egypt. In Mansour AO (ed) Annals of Geological Survey of Egypt, vol VII, Cairo, pp 29

  • Yamaguchi Y, Fujisada H, Kudoh M, Kawakami T, Tsu H, Kahle AB, Pniel M (1999) ASTER instrument characterization and operation scenario. Adv Space Res 23(8):1415–1424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi Y, Fujisada H, Kahle A, Tsu, H, Kato, M, Watanabe, H, Sato, I, Kudoh, M (2001) ASTER instrument performance, operation status, and application to Earth sciences. In IGARSS 2001. Scanning the Present and Resolving the Future. Proceedings IEEE 2001 International Geosceince and Remote Sensing Symposium (Cat No 01CH37217). 3:1215–1216

  • Yan H, Zhang Y, Wei W, Zhang L, Li F, Wang B (2014) An MCD-based local ACE algorithm for hyperspectral imagery target detection. In 2014 International Conference on Orange Technologies, IEEE. 21–24

  • Zadeh MH, Tangestani MH (2013) Comparison of ASTER thermal data sets in lithological mapping at a volcano-sedimentary basin: a case study from southeastern Iran. Int J Remote Sens 34(23):8393–8407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Pazner M, Duke N (2007) Lithologic and mineral information extraction for gold exploration using ASTER data in the south Chocolate Mountains (California). ISPRS J Photogramm Remote Sens 62(4):271–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2007.04.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang E, Zhang X, Yang S, Wang S (2013) Improving hyperspectral image classification using spectral information divergence. IEEE Geosci Remote Sens Lett 11(1):249–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zidan IH (1998) Geological and Mineralogical Studies of Abu Tartur Phosphates Western Desert, Egypt. Al-Azhar Univ. (Unpublished thesis) pp 201

  • Zidan IH (2014) Evaluation of phosphorite and uranium in lower phosphorite member, Duwi Formation at Kummer Area, South Esna, West Nile Valley, Egypt. J Sediment Soc Egypt 21:143–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Zidan IH (2019) Environmental assessment of natural radioactivity in Mahamid phosphorite and the related phosphatic fertilizers. Int J Environ 8(3):171–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Zidan IH, Osman RA, Mansour GMR (2020) Sedimentological Origin and Environmental Impact of El Zayat Shales, East Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. Curr Sci Int 09(01):97–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoheir B, El-Wahed MA, Pour AB, Abdelnasser A (2019) Orogenic gold in transpression and transtension zones: field and remote sensing studies of the barramiya–mueilha sector, Egypt. Remote Sens 11(18):2122

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges Prof. Scott Brande for his critical review of the manuscript. The author also would like to acknowledge NASA for remote sensing data (ASTER and Landsat) used in this study. The author is indebted to the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and annotations that greatly improved an earlier version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530, Al Qattamiya, El-Maddi, Cairo, Egypt

    Reda A. El-Arafy

Authors
  1. Reda A. El-Arafy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reda A. El-Arafy.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Biswajeet Pradhan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

El-Arafy, R.A. Successful spectral remote sensing techniques for mapping apatite mineral of phosphatic rocks at eastern side of Abu Tartur Plateau, Western Desert, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 14, 1658 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08129-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08129-5

Keywords

  • Abu Tartur
  • Phosphate
  • Apatite
  • ASTER
  • ACE
  • Target detection