Preliminary Study of Mining Material Prospects Based on Hydrothermal Alteration Distribution Using Composite and Density Slicing of Landsat 8 Image in Ulubongka Regency, Central Sulawesi

Abstract

Difficult access to the field in Central Sulawesi causes the process of identifying prospects for mining minerals requires a relatively large time and cost. Therefore, the remote sensing approach can be carried out as a preliminary study to determine the distribution of hydrothermal alterations that characterize the presence of mine minerals. This study utilizes Landsat 8 imagery to obtain the distribution of alteration minerals, especially the group of ferrous mineral oxide and hydroxide minerals, clay and carbonate minerals and Ferromagnesian minerals. The method used is composite (RGB) 4/2, 6/7, 5 and 4/2, 6/7, 10 to detect the distribution of alteration minerals. Whereas the Density Slicing method uses 4/2, 5/6 and 6/7 ratio images to detect Ferrugitation, Ferromagnesian, clay and carbonate minerals. The results of the analysis showed the distribution of iron oxide and hydroxide minerals (Ferrugination) dominated the area in alluvium and opiolite rocks. This alteration distribution is interpreted as a prospect of further studies of the presence of mining minerals such as nickel and iron. Whereas ferromagnesian minerals, clays and carbonates dominate in conglomerate and limestone rocks.