Geophysical Interpretation of Possible Gold Mineralization Zones in Kyerano, South-Western Ghana Using Aeromagnetic and Radiometric Datasets

Abstract

Airborne magnetic and radiometric datasets are used to interpret the geology and geological structural patterns which serve as potential gold mineralization zones in the Kyerano area located at south-western boundary of the prospective Sefwi Gold Belt and the Kumasi Basin in south-western Ghana. The geophysical data processing approach adopted concentrated on mapping geological boundaries, geological structures and possible gold mineralization zones is link to hydrothermally altered zones. The application of the enhancement filtering algorithms such as the reduction to the pole and analytic signal to the magnetic data, as well as the ternary radiometric image aided in the mapping of the mafic metavolcanics, basin metasediments and the belt-type granitoid complexes. The first vertical derivative and tilt angle derivative filters helped to delineate fractures, folds, and the contact zones of the formations such as that of the metavolcanics-metasediments that host the main Bibiani Shear Zone. Lineament analysis of the structures using rose diagram, reveals two main tectonic episodes in the area. These are NE-SW and NNW-SSE trending regional structures which account for about 90% of the extracted structures and are associated with the D1 and D2 deformational episodes of the Birimian Formation respectively. These structures are major fracture systems and play a pivotal role in the localization of gold mineralization in the study area.