Detecing high-potential gold mineralization areas using aster satellite images at Chatree gold mining area, Phichit and Phethchabun provinces

Satellite imagery has been used for resource exploration and management on earth’s surface such as wood density, land management and geological exploration. One of well-known satellite data, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite images, are used to observe gold deposits by collecting reflectance data of surface materials in the spectral ranges: visible, near-infrared, shortwave-infrared and thermal-infrared. The objective of this study is to use ASTER satellite images obtained before the official operation of Chatree gold mine to detect OH-bearing altered surface minerals considered high-potential gold mineralization areas. The image transformations: band ratio indices and principal component analysis were used on ASTER satellite images covering Chatree gold deposit. Subsequently, the ASTER data was compared to petrographic study and x-ray diffraction analysis of rock samples from representative locations. The results show ASTER satellite images can be used to detect high-potential gold mineralization when analyzed for OH-bearing altered minerals: illite, sericite, chlorite, and kaolinite and montmorillonite. According to the results, this research can be a case study for detecting high-potential gold mineralization areas for the low-sulfidation epithermal deposit in tropical regions.