Effective Use and Interpretation of Geographical Data in Regional Mineral Exploration in Northern Areas of Pakistan

Abstract

The northern areas of Pakistan are known to have significant mineral resources, but their exact locations and specified characteristics are not well understood due it accessibility to these areas and exposure of minerals occurrence itself. This study aimed to geographically locate different minerals in the northern areas of Pakistan using a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing data through two software ArcMap 10.5 for data analysis and ENVI for image processing. The band ratio technique was used to analyze the spectral characteristics of the minerals in the study area. The study area was selected based on previous knowledge of mineral occurrences and potential deposits. Remote sensing data, in the form of satellite imagery, was collected and processed using ENVI to identify areas of mineral potential. The band ratio technique was applied on the imagery data to extract mineral information. The band ratio indices b2/b1 was used for identifying ferric iron, b1/b3 for clay, b1/b2 for sulphates, b13/b10 for quartz. Similarly, b1/b14 was used to identify carbonates and b11/b12 for kaolinite. The results of the study showed that study area A and study area B in the Eastern part of Hunza Valley are rich in carbonates and deposits of ferric iron. Apart from these minerals, clay minerals were abundantly identified in both regions. Several areas of mineral potential provided a basis for future exploration and development in the region.