Delineation of groundwater potential zones using remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems(GIS)in Kadaladi region,Southern India

The primary objective of this research is to delineate potential groundwater recharge zones in the Kadaladi taluk of Ramanathapuram,Tamil Nadu,India,using a combination of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems(GIS)with the Analytical Hierarchical Process(AHP).Various factors such as geology,geomorphology,soil,drainage,density,lineament density,slope,rainfall were analyzed at a specific scale.Thematic layers were evaluated for quality and relevance using Saaty's scale,and then inte-grated using the weighted linear combination technique.The weights assigned to each layer and features were standardized using AHP and the Eigen vector technique,resulting in the final groundwater potential zone map.The AHP method was used to normalize the scores following the assignment of weights to each criterion or factor based on Saaty's 9-point scale.Pair-wise matrix analysis was utilized to calculate the geometric mean and normalized weight for various parameters.The groundwater recharge potential zone map was created by mathematically overlaying the normalized weighted layers.Thematic layers indicating major elements influencing groundwater occurrence and recharge were derived from satellite images.2 Results indicate that approximately 21.8 km of the total area exhibits high potential for groundwater recharge.Groundwater recharge is viable in areas with moderate slopes,particularly in the central and southeastern regions.

How Sense of Ritual in Tourism Impacts Tourists’Co-Creation of Tourism Experience Values:A Study Based on the Theory of Value Co-Creation

Establishing a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios offers tourists the opportunity for interactive engagement.Drawing upon the value co-creation theory,this study constructed an influence mechanism model to examine tourists'active engagement in the process of co-creating tourism experience values.It employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling(PLS-SEM)to empirically test the proposed hypotheses.The findings demonstrate that the model constructed in the present study exhibits robust reliability,validity,and explanatory power.The perception of the sense of ritual in tourism exerts a significant positive influence on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values,thereby significantly enhancing both the communitas and flow experienced by tourists during their travels.Moreover,such communitas and flow can mediate the influence of the sense of ritual in tourism on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values.This study contributes to advancing the current research on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values and the sense of ritual in tourism,thereby providing theoretical foundations for cultivating a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios.

Revisiting Akaike’s Final Prediction Error and the Generalized Cross Validation Criteria in Regression from the Same Perspective: From Least Squares to Ridge Regression and Smoothing Splines

In regression, despite being both aimed at estimating the Mean Squared Prediction Error (MSPE), Akaike’s Final Prediction Error (FPE) and the Generalized Cross Validation (GCV) selection criteria are usually derived from two quite different perspectives. Here, settling on the most commonly accepted definition of the MSPE as the expectation of the squared prediction error loss, we provide theoretical expressions for it, valid for any linear model (LM) fitter, be it under random or non random designs. Specializing these MSPE expressions for each of them, we are able to derive closed formulas of the MSPE for some of the most popular LM fitters: Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), with or without a full column rank design matrix;Ordinary and Generalized Ridge regression, the latter embedding smoothing splines fitting. For each of these LM fitters, we then deduce a computable estimate of the MSPE which turns out to coincide with Akaike’s FPE. Using a slight variation, we similarly get a class of MSPE estimates coinciding with the classical GCV formula for those same LM fitters.

Variation in the surface heat flux on the north and south slopes of Mount Qomolangma

The distinctive conditions present on the north and south slopes of Mount Qomolangma,along with the intricate variations in the underlying surfaces,result in notable variations in the surface energy flux patterns of the two slopes.In this paper,data from TESEBS(Topographical Enhanced Surface Energy Balance System),remote sensing data from eight cloud-free scenarios,and observational data from nine stations are utilized to examine the fluctuations in the surface heat flux on both slopes.The inclusion of MCD43A3 satellite data enhances the surface albedo,contributing to more accurate simulation outcomes.The model results are validated using observational data.The RMSEs of the net radiation,ground heat,sensible heat,and latent heat flux are 40.73,17.09,33.26,and 30.91 W m^(−2),respectively.The net radiation flux is greater on the south slope and exhibits a rapid decline from summer to autumn.Due to the influence of the monsoon,on the north slope,the maximum sensible heat flux occurs in the pre-monsoon period in summer and the maximum latent heat flux occurs during the monsoon.The south slope experiences the highest latent heat flux in summer.The dominant flux on the north slope is sensible heat,while it is latent heat on the south slope.The seasonal variations in the ground heat flux are more pronounced on the south slope than on the north slope.Except in summer,the ground heat flux on the north slope surpasses that on the south slope.

Characterization and spatial analysis of coseismic landslides triggered by the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake in the Xianshuihe fault zone, Southwest China

On September 5, 2022, a magnitude Ms 6.8 earthquake occurred along the Moxi fault in the southern part of the Xianshuihe fault zone located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,resulting in severe damage and substantial economic loss. In this study, we established a coseismic landslide database triggered by Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake, which includes 4794 landslides with a total area of 46.79 km^(2). The coseismic landslides primarily consisted of medium and small-sized landslides, characterized by shallow surface sliding. Some exhibited characteristics of high-position initiation resulted in the obstruction or partial obstruction of rivers, leading to the formation of dammed lakes. Our research found that the coseismic landslides were predominantly observed on slopes ranging from 30° to 50°, occurring at between 1000 m and 2500 m, with slope aspects varying from 90° to 180°. Landslides were also highly developed in granitic bodies that had experienced structural fracturing and strong-tomoderate weathering. Coseismic landslides concentrated within a 6 km range on both sides of the Xianshuihe and Daduhe fault zones. The area and number of coseismic landslides exhibited a negative correlation with the distance to fault lines, road networks, and river systems, as they were influenced by fault activity, road excavation, and river erosion. The coseismic landslides were mainly distributed in the southeastern region of the epicenter, exhibiting relatively concentrated patterns within the IX-degree zones such as Moxi Town, Wandong River basin, Detuo Town to Wanggangping Township. Our research findings provide important data on the coseismic landslides triggered by the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake and reveal the spatial distribution patterns of these landslides. These findings can serve as important references for risk mitigation, reconstruction planning, and regional earthquake disaster research in the earthquake-affected area.

A Novel Fractional Dengue Transmission Model in the Presence of Wolbachia Using Stochastic Based Artificial Neural Network

The purpose of this research work is to investigate the numerical solutions of the fractional dengue transmission model(FDTM)in the presence of Wolbachia using the stochastic-based Levenberg-Marquardt neural network(LM-NN)technique.The fractional dengue transmission model(FDTM)consists of 12 compartments.The human population is divided into four compartments;susceptible humans(S_(h)),exposed humans(E_(h)),infectious humans(I_(h)),and recovered humans(R_(h)).Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-uninfected mosquito population is also divided into four compartments:aquatic(eggs,larvae,pupae),susceptible,exposed,and infectious.We investigated three different cases of vertical transmission probability(η),namely when Wolbachia-free mosquitoes persist only(η=0.6),when both types of mosquitoes persist(η=0.8),and when Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes persist only(η=1).The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Wolbachia in reducing dengue and presenting the numerical results by using the stochastic structure LM-NN approach with 10 hidden layers of neurons for three different cases of the fractional order derivatives(α=0.4,0.6,0.8).LM-NN approach includes a training,validation,and testing procedure to minimize the mean square error(MSE)values using the reference dataset(obtained by solving the model using the Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method(ABM).The distribution of data is 80% data for training,10% for validation,and,10% for testing purpose)results.A comprehensive investigation is accessible to observe the competence,precision,capacity,and efficiency of the suggested LM-NN approach by executing the MSE,state transitions findings,and regression analysis.The effectiveness of the LM-NN approach for solving the FDTM is demonstrated by the overlap of the findings with trustworthy measures,which achieves a precision of up to 10^(-4).

Assessing the degree of impact from iceberg activities on penguin colonies of Clarence Island

During August and September 2023,three giant icebergs,each bigger than Paris,successively grazed Clarence Island in the northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula,a home to a population of over 100000 penguins.This incident may serve as a clarion call for the increasing iceberg calving due to global warming and its subsequent impact on the Antarctic ecosystem.Here we investigate this unexpected event and employ historical records and probabilistic analyses of iceberg grounding to assess the degree of impact on penguin colonies of Clarence Island.Among the eleven colonies,there is one with low impact,eight with medium impact,and two with high impact.The low-impact colony,Cape Lloyd,is located in the northern part of the island,while the high-impact colonies,False Ridge and Pink Pool,are in the southeast.The eight medium-impact colonies are distributed along both the eastern and western coasts of the island.This study provides essential support for evaluating the impact of iceberg activity on penguin colonies.We argue that penguin colonies located in areas prone to iceberg drift,such as Clarence Island,may become more vulnerable to the heightened risk of iceberg collisions or groundings in the warming future.Therefore,we hope the public will become more aware of the grave impacts of climate change on penguins and underscore the urgent need for effective conservation strategies.

Using ontology and rules to retrieve the semantics of disaster remote sensing data

Remote sensing data plays an important role in natural disaster management.However,with the increase of the variety and quantity of remote sensors,the problem of“knowledge barriers”arises when data users in disaster field retrieve remote sensing data.To improve this problem,this paper proposes an ontology and rule based retrieval(ORR)method to retrieve disaster remote sensing data,and this method introduces ontology technology to express earthquake disaster and remote sensing knowledge,on this basis,and realizes the task suitability reasoning of earthquake disaster remote sensing data,mining the semantic relationship between remote sensing metadata and disasters.The prototype system is built according to the ORR method,which is compared with the traditional method,using the ORR method to retrieve disaster remote sensing data can reduce the knowledge requirements of data users in the retrieval process and improve data retrieval efficiency.

Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Land in Southwest Niger: The Case of the Commune of Gothèye

In south-west Niger, ecosystems are losing several hectares of their surface area every year due to internally displaced persons and refugees. The commune of Gothèye is not immune to this situation. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of displaced persons and refugees on socio-spatio-temporal dynamics of ecosystems using Landsat images. To achieve this, Landsat TM, Landsat ETM+ and OLI 8 satellite images from September and March were used (2010 to 2024). Operations on Envi 5.3, field validation output and finally mapping on ArcGIS were the steps involved. Discrimination is significant, with kappa coefficients of 0.97, 0.96, 0.86 and 0.85. The results obtained indicate a degradation of natural ecosystems, reflected in a change in landscape structure, with a marked reduction in the quantity and quality of ecosystem goods. Analysis of the evolution of land use showed that 31% of the land remained in its initial state (unchanged), 69% underwent modifications, and 11% was converted to cropland. Over these fourteen years, the study area has undergone changes in land use patterns, which have resulted in a modification of landscape structure, with a marked decline in the quantity and quality of ecosystem services.

Waste Cotton-Derived Fiber-Based Thermoelectric Aerogel for Wearable and Self-Powered Temperature-Compression Strain Dual-Parameter Sensing

The rapid development of the global economy and population growth are accompanied by the production of numerous waste textiles.This leads to a waste of limited resources and serious environmental pollution problems caused by improper disposal.The rational recycling of wasted textiles and their transformation into high-value-added emerging products,such as smart wearable devices,is fascinating.Here,we propose a novel roadmap for turning waste cotton fabrics into three-dimensional elastic fiber-based thermoelectric aerogels by a one-step lyophilization process with decoupled self-powered temperature-compression strain dual-parameter sensing properties.The thermoelectric aerogel exhibits a fast compression response time of 0.2 s,a relatively high Seebeck coefficient of 43μV·K^(-1),and an ultralow thermal conductivity of less than 0.04 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1).The cross-linking of trimethoxy(methyl)silane(MTMS)and cellulose endowed the aerogel with excellent elasticity,allowing it to be used as a compressive strain sensor for guessing games and facial expression recognition.In addition,based on the thermoelectric effect,the aerogel can perform temperature detection and differentiation in self-powered mode with the output thermal voltage as the stimulus signal.Furthermore,the wearable system,prepared by connecting the aerogel-prepared array device with a wireless transmission module,allows for temperature alerts in a mobile phone application without signal interference due to the compressive strains generated during gripping.Hence,our strategy is significant for reducing global environmental pollution and provides a revelatory path for transforming waste textiles into high-value-added smart wearable devices.

Determining the planting year of navel orange trees in mountainous and hilly areas of southern China:a remote sensing based method

Remote sensing has demonstrated validity in determining the planting year of deciduous fruit trees;however,its effectiveness in ascertaining the planting year of evergreen fruit trees remains unverified.Furthermore,the sources of error associated with using remote sensing to determine the planting year of fruit trees remain unclear.This study investigates several cultivated sweet orange(Citrus sinensis)varieties,which are extensively cultivated throughout subtropical China.We analyzed Landsat time series data from 132 navel orange orchards in Gannan,covering the period from 1993 to 2021.For each orchard,Google Earth Engine was employed to extract three vegetation indices—Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI),Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),and Normalized Burn Ratio(NBR)—for each available date,thereby generating three distinct vegetation index time series.The planting year of navel orange trees was identified based on abrupt changes observed in these time series.The principal sources of error in determining the planting year were investigated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test,Spearman's correlation analysis,and Kruskal-Wallis H test.Key findings include:(1)Following the planting of navel orange trees,EVI,NDVI,and NBR exhibited fluctuations and a gradual increase over time,peaking approximately 10 to 15 years later.(2)The vegetation index time series derived from Landsat imagery effectively determined the planting year of evergreen navel orange trees in orchards,even within highly fragmented landscapes.Among these indices,NDVI and NBR time series outperformed the EVI time series.Specifically,the average determination errors for EVI,NDVI,and NBR time series were 6.4,1.8,and 2.8 years,respectively.(3)Major sources of error included the methods used to construct the time series,the selection of vegetation indices,and the orchard management practices.Overall,this study provides a viable method for determining the planting year of evergreen navel orange trees in fragmented landscapes and offers insights into factors contributing to uncertainty in planting year determination.

Changes in area fraction of sediment-laden sea ice in the Arctic Ocean during 2000 to 2021

Sediment-laden sea ice plays an important role in Arctic sediment transport and biogeochemical cycles,as well as the shortwave radiation budget and melt onset of ice surface.However,at present,there is a lack of efficient observation approach from both space and in situ for the coverage of Arctic sediment-laden sea ice.Thus,both spatial distribution and long-term changes in area fraction of such ice floes are still unclear.This study proposes a new classification method to extract Arctic sediment-laden sea ice on the basic of the difference in spectral characteristics between sediment-laden sea ice and clean sea ice in the visible band using the MOD09A1 data with the resolution of 500 m,and obtains its area fraction over the pan Arctic Ocean during 2000−2021.Compared with Landsat-8 true color verification images with a resolution of 30 m,the overall accuracy of our classification method is 92.3%,and the Kappa coefficient is 0.84.The impact of clouds on the results of recognition and spatiotemporal changes of sediment-laden sea ice is relatively small from June to July,compared to that in May or August.Spatially,sediment-laden sea ice mostly appears over the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean,especially the continental shelf of Chukchi Sea and the Siberian seas.Associated with the retreat of Arctic sea ice extent,the total area of sediment-laden sea ice in June-July also shows a significant decreasing trend of 8.99×10^(4) km^(2) per year.The occurrence of sediment-laden sea ice over the Arctic Ocean in June-July leads to the reduce of surface albedo over the ice-covered ocean by 14.1%.This study will help thoroughly understanding of the role of sediment-laden sea ice in the evolution of Arctic climate system and marine ecological environment,as well as the heat budget and mass balance of sea ice itself.

Algorithms and statistical analysis for linear structured weighted total least squares problem

Weighted total least squares(WTLS)have been regarded as the standard tool for the errors-in-variables(EIV)model in which all the elements in the observation vector and the coefficient matrix are contaminated with random errors.However,in many geodetic applications,some elements are error-free and some random observations appear repeatedly in different positions in the augmented coefficient matrix.It is called the linear structured EIV(LSEIV)model.Two kinds of methods are proposed for the LSEIV model from functional and stochastic modifications.On the one hand,the functional part of the LSEIV model is modified into the errors-in-observations(EIO)model.On the other hand,the stochastic model is modified by applying the Moore-Penrose inverse of the cofactor matrix.The algorithms are derived through the Lagrange multipliers method and linear approximation.The estimation principles and iterative formula of the parameters are proven to be consistent.The first-order approximate variance-covariance matrix(VCM)of the parameters is also derived.A numerical example is given to compare the performances of our proposed three algorithms with the STLS approach.Afterwards,the least squares(LS),total least squares(TLS)and linear structured weighted total least squares(LSWTLS)solutions are compared and the accuracy evaluation formula is proven to be feasible and effective.Finally,the LSWTLS is applied to the field of deformation analysis,which yields a better result than the traditional LS and TLS estimations.

Numerical simulation of inlet placement on sewage characteristics in the rounded square aquaculture tank with single inlet

To improve the self-cleaning ability of aquaculture tank and the efficiency of circulating water,physical and numerical experiments were conducted on the influence of inlet structure on sewage discharge in a rounded square aquaculture tank with a single inlet.Based on the physical model of the tank,analysis of how inlet structure adjustment affects sewage discharge efficiency and flow field characteristics was conducted to provide suitable flow field conditions for sinkable solid particle discharge.In addition,an internal flow field simulation was conducted using the RNG k-εturbulence model in hydraulic drive mode.Then a solid-fluid multiphase model was created to investigate how the inlet structure affects sewage collection in the rounded square aquaculture tank with single inlet and outlet.The finding revealed that the impact of inlet structure is considerably affecting sewage collection.The conditions of C/B=0.07-0.11(the ratio of horizontal distance between the center of the inlet pipe and the tank wall(C)to length of the tank(B))andα=25°(αis the angle between the direction of the jet and the tangential direction of the arc angle)resulted in optimal sewage collection,which is similar to the flow field experiment in the rounded square aquaculture tank with single inlet and outlet.An excellent correlation was revealed between sewage collection and fluid circulation stability in the aquaculture tank.The present study provided a reference for design and optimization of circulating aquaculture tanks in aquaculture industry.

THE STABLE RECONSTRUCTION OF STRONGLY-DECAYING BLOCK SPARSE SIGNALS

In this paper,we reconstruct strongly-decaying block sparse signals by the block generalized orthogonal matching pursuit(BgOMP)algorithm in the l2-bounded noise case.Under some restraints on the minimum magnitude of the nonzero elements of the strongly-decaying block sparse signal,if the sensing matrix satisfies the the block restricted isometry property(block-RIP),then arbitrary strongly-decaying block sparse signals can be accurately and steadily reconstructed by the BgOMP algorithm in iterations.Furthermore,we conjecture that this condition is sharp.

Comprehensive analysis of glacier recession(2000-2020)in the Nun-Kun Group of Glaciers,Northwestern Himalaya

Himalayan glaciers are shrinking rapidly,especially after 2000.Glacier shrinkage,however,shows a differential pattern in space and time,emphasizing the need to monitor and assess glacier changes at a larger scale.In this study,changes of 48 glaciers situated around the twin peaks of the Nun and Kun mountains in the northwestern Himalaya,hereafter referred to as Nun-Kun Group of Glaciers(NKGG),were investigated using Landsat satellite data during 2000-2020.Changes in glacier area,snout position,Equilibrium Line Altitude(ELA),surface thickness and glacier velocity were assessed using remote sensing data supplemented by field observations.The study revealed that the NKGG glaciers have experienced a recession of 4.5%±3.4%and their snouts have retreated at the rate of 6.4±1.6 m·a^(-1).Additionally,there was a 41%increase observed in the debris cover area during the observation period.Using the geodetic approach,an average glacier elevation change of-1.4±0.4 m·a^(-1)was observed between 2000 and 2012.The observed mass loss of the NKGG has resulted in the deceleration of glacier velocity from 27.0±3.7 m·a^(-1)in 2000 to 21.2±2.2 m·a^(-1)in 2020.The ELA has shifted upwards by 83.0±22 m during the period.Glacier morphological and topographic factors showed a strong influence on glacier recession.Furthermore,a higher recession of 12.9%±3.2%was observed in small glaciers,compared to 2.7%±3.1%in larger glaciers.The debris-covered glaciers showed lower shrinkage(2.8%±1.1%)compared to the clean glaciers(9.3%±5%).The glacier depletion recorded in the NKGG during the last two decades,if continued,would severely diminish glacial volume and capacity to store water,thus jeopardizing the sustainability of water resources in the basin.

Landsat Image-Based Spatiotemporal Variation Analysis of Erosion and Deposition off the Qingshuigou of the Yellow River Delta from 1984 to 2021

Owing to climate change and human activity,the Qingshuigou of the Yellow River Delta(YRD)has undergone dynamic changes in erosion and deposition.Therefore,studying these changes is important to ensure ecological protection and sustainable development.In this study,the trend of erosion-deposition evolution in the Qingshuigou was investigated based on 38 coastline phases extracted from Landsat series images of the YRD at one-year intervals from 1984 to 2021.The periodicity of the scouring and deposition evolution was also analyzed using wavelet analysis.Results showed that the total area of the Qingshuigou was affected by deposition and erosion and that the fluctuation first increased and then decreased.The total area reached a maximum in 1993.The depositional area first increased and then decreased,whereas the overall erosion area decreased.Deposition and erosion areas showed periodic changes to some extent;however,the periodic signal intensity decreased.Furthermore,factors including channel morphological evolution and variations in water and sediment discharge affect the spatiotemporal dynamics of erosion and deposition processes.The application of nonconsistency tests finally revealed that deposition area and flushing magnitude exhibited non-stationarities,which are potentially attributed to impacts from climatic change drivers.

Monitoring Surface Water Change in Northeast China in 1999–2020:Evidence from Satellite Observation and Refined Classification

As a typical region with high water demand for agricultural production,understanding the spatiotemporal surface water changes in Northeast China is critical for water resources management and sustainable development.However,the long-term variation characteristics of surface water of different water body types in Northeast China remain rarely explored.This study investigated how surface water bodies of different types(e.g.,lake,reservoir,river,coastal aquaculture,marsh wetland,ephemeral water) changed during1999–2020 in Northeast China based on various remote sensing-based datasets.The results showed that surface water in Northeast China grew dramatically in the past two decades,with an equivalent area increasing from 24 394 km^(2) in 1999 to 34 595 km^(2) in 2020.The surge of ephemeral water is the primary driver of surface water expansion,which could ascribe to shifted precipitation pattern.Marsh wetlands,rivers,and reservoirs experienced a similar trend,with an approximate 20% increase at the interdecadal scale.By contrast,coastal aquacultures and natural lakes remain relatively stable.This study is expected to provide a more comprehensive investigation of the surface water variability in Northeast China and has important practical significance for the scientific management of different types of surface water.

Mapping lineaments using Landsat 8 OLI and SRTM data;a case study of the eastern part of the Ouarzazate Basin,Morocco

The integration of remote sensing and geographic information system(GIS)was employed in this study to delineate the structural lineaments within the eastern section of the Ouarzazate Basin,situated between the southern front of the Central High Atlas and the northern slopes of the Eastern Anti-Atlas(also known as the Saghro Massif).To achieve this objective,Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager(OLI)and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission(SRTM)data were used.Principal Component Analysis(PCA)was computed and a directional filter was applied to the first PCA and the panchromatic band(B8).Additionally,shading was applied to the SRTM data in four directions;N0°,N45°,N90°,N135°.After removing of the non-geological linear structures,the results obtained,using the automatic extraction method,allowed us to produce a synthetic map that included 1251 lineaments with an average length of 1331 m and was dominated by NE-SW,ENE-WSW and E-W directions,respectively.However,the high lineament density is clearly noted in the Anti-Atlas(Saghro Massif)and at the level of the northern part,extending from the Ait Ibrirne to Arg-Ali Oubourk villages.High lineament density can always be found around the major faults affecting this area.The data collected during the field investigations and from geological maps show that the major direction of the faults and structural accidents range mostly between N45°,N70°and N75°.The correlation of remote sensing results with those collected in the field shows a similarity and coincidence with each other.From these results,it is possible to consider the automatic extraction method as a supplementary kind that can serve classical geology by quickly enriching it with additional data.As shown in this work,this method provides more information when applied in arid areas where the fields are well outcropped.

Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Mineral Alteration Mapping and Lineament Extraction Case of Oudiane Elkharoub (Requibat Shield, Northern of Mauritania)

The integration of remotely sensed data allowed the successful characterization of the mineral alteration zones of the Oudiane Elkharoub area in the Northeastern part of Reguibat Shield using image transformation techniques. As both chemical and geochemical analyses showed significant Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Mn, Cr, Ni, Th and Y anomalies, it’s very interesting to apply the remote sensing and GIS in mineral resources mapping. The remote sensing is a direct adjunct to the field, lithologic and structural mapping, and more recently, GIS has played an important role in the study of mineralization areas. The integration of several evidential maps highlighted the plausible areas with high concentrations of chlorite, epidote, kaolinite, calcite, alunite, hematite, illite and sulfur among other key mineral alterations that reflect the intensity of hydrothermal effects and the probable sites of ore bodies. The methodological approach integrates geological information acquired from Aster and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager/Thermal InfraRed Sensor) images and a multi-criteria GIS analysis. The superimposition of various lineament and hydrothermal alteration maps and the consideration of precious and base metal indicators allowed the zoning of sites likely to contain mineral concentrations. Remote sensing becomes an important tool for locating mineral deposits in its own right, when the primary and secondary processes of mineralization result in the formation of spectral anomalies. Reconnaissance lithological mapping is usually the first step of mineral resource mapping. This is complimented with structural mapping, as mineral deposits usually occur along or adjacent to geologic structures, and alteration mapping, as mineral deposits are commonly associated with hydrothermal alteration of the surrounding rocks. Ground truthing and laboratory studies including XRD analysis were utilized to verify the results.