29-10-2018 20:37
Kadabora younger granite pluton is one of the most promising uranium mineralization plutons in the central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt. Airborne gamma ray spectrometry (AGRS) integrated with ETM+ remote sensing data to identify and map uraniferous alteration zones hosted in Kadabora pluton. These data were also used to locate more radioactive areas of mineralization, identifying their migration path, and to differentiate between mineralization types. The interpretation of airborne gamma-ray spectrometry shows that the northern part of the pluton contains high concentrations of secondary uranium mineralization, representing the more promising zone in Kadabora pluton. The maximum uranium and thorium concentration is 10 ppm and 20 ppm respectively. Kadabora pluton can be subdivided radiometrically into three parts the southern part with U-leaching, the central part with partly U-enrichment and the northern part with extensive U-enrichment. False color composite (FCC), principal component analysis (PCA), band ratio, intensity hue saturation, and least squares fitting techniques were applied to investigate the uranium-bearing zones. The PCA was the effective technique for mapping the potential alteration zones in the Kadabora area. The integration between airborne gamma ray spectrometry data analysis and ETM+ image processing techniques revealed that concentrations of secondary uranium mineralization are favorably located in the areas of pegmatite associations, and along mainly N-S trending fractures, joints and faults through the effects of hydrothermal solutions and in wadis due to meteoric water effect.