Discrimination of Quaternary iron placer deposits by integrating remote sensing band ratio, magnetometry and geology data by weighted overlay index method compared to SAM and FCC methods in 1:100000 sheet of Hamedan

Abstract Quaternary placer deposits are becoming increasingly important. Remote sensing is a very powerful tool in discriminating altered areas related to intrusion deposits, which has significantly reduced the cost and time of exploration. In this study, to identify iron-bearing alluvial zones within the 1:100000 sheet of Hamedan, satellite image processing techniques such as band ratio (BR), false color composition (FCC) and spectral angle mapper (SAM) on visible and near-infrared plus shortwave infrared bands (VNIR + SWIR)  of ASTER sensor is used. Important exploratory data such as geological maps, faults and lineaments, magnetometer and band ratio applied to ASTER sensor data, distribution of Ferrous iron (Fe2+) and Ferric iron (Fe3+) were created and combined with weighted overlay index (WOI). Then important iron-bearing minerals such as magnetite, hematite, limonite and goethite were identified by spectral angle mapper (SAM). The iron ore in study area was also detected by the false color composition (FCC) method and the results of SAM and FCC methods were compared to weighted overlay index (WOI). With regard to the field visit and  well conforming the results of all three methods, in the absence of complementary exploratory data such as geochemistry and geophysics, the results of SAM and FCC methods can be adduced singly or with each other.