Remote sensing and gravity investigations for barite detection in Neoproterozoic rocks in the Ariab area, Red Sea Hills, Sudan

Abstract

The increasing global demand for barite, driven by its geological importance and various industrial applications, advises the scientific community to improve attempts to identify and explore its deposits in different geological settings. This boost in interest aims to ensure sustainable supply by locating new sources and better understanding the conditions in which barite forms. This study presents an integrated approach using multispectral (Landsat 8 & 9, Sentinel-2, and ASTER) and hyperspectral (PRISMA) remote sensing data, along with geophysical gravity data, to improve the localization of barite deposits. Several image processing methods, including false colour composites, principal component analysis, band ratios, minimum noise fraction, and spectral analysis, were employed for the discrimination of barite deposits, revealing their association with felsic rocks (referred to as group C). Additionally, lineament extraction was performed using the recent and advanced different filters like Tilt Angle Horizontal Gradient (TAHG) and Enhanced Horizontal Gradient Amplitude (EHGA) on Bouguer anomalies, highlighting the structural control of barite deposits by the D3 deformation phase. Field investigations were conducted to validate our findings. Based on these field observations, the integrated methodology successfully mapped the distribution of barite and its host rocks, resulting in an updated geological map for barite distribution that can be used in further exploration phases. We strongly recommend the adopted approach and the newly proposed image combinations for preliminary explorations of barite in similar arid terrains.