AN INTEGRATED STUDY OF LANDSAT ETM AND CARTOSAT DEM DATA IN IDENTIFICATION OF BANDED IRON FORMATIONS (BIFs) ASSOCIATED WITH SULPHIDE MINERALIZATION

Abstract

This paper deals with the identification of BIFs and associated sulphide mineralisation. An integrated approach, including the use of Landsat ETM-plus and Cartosat DEM data, GIS analysis, and geological data, is adopted for this purpose in the Nagavi area of Gadag Schist Belt (GSB), India. This integrated approach has enabled in identifying BIFs and structures. Band-7 of the ETM-plus sensor of Landsat-7 is used to identify BIFs and Band-5 for lineaments and shear zones. As a result of this study, the presence of gold mineralisation in sheared zones is noticed. BIFs are the economically prominent litho-units in the GSB hosting high-grade iron ore deposits along with sulphide mineralised shear zones. The strata bound ore is hosted primarily by BIF, consisting of chlorite, alternating chert and magnetite, sulphides and carbonate bands of a millimetre to centimetre scale.