Using reflectance spectroscopy and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer data to identify bauxite deposits in vicinity of Az Zabirah, northern Saudi Arabia
Arabian Journal of Geosciences
Bauxite samples from deposits in northern Saudi Arabia were identified in the laboratory using spectral reflectance measurements
(at 0.3–2.5 μm) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results revealed that the bauxite deposits are composed mainly of
goethite, gibbsite, and boehmite with small amounts of kaolinite, hematite, and quartz. The bauxite spectra revealed the presence
of significant iron oxides (at 0.5 and 0.87 μm) accompanied by water (at 1.4 and 1.9 μm) and aluminum hydroxide (at 2.2 μm).
The convolved Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) spectra of the bauxite samples
were characterized by an aluminum hydroxide feature in ASTER band 6 (at 2.2 μm). The results demonstrated that principal
components analysis band PC2 is the best component for delineating the bauxite deposits. Fractional abundances of bauxite were
derived by using a matched-filtering method. This study demonstrates the applicability of reflectance spectroscopy and ASTER
data to provide spectral information for distinguishing economically important minerals from visible and near-infrared and
shortwave-infrared spectra in arid and semiarid environments such as in Saudi Arabia.
Bauxite samples from deposits in northern Saudi Arabia were identified in the laboratory using spectral reflectance measurements
(at 0.3–2.5 μm) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results…
The Tihamat-Asir area is located in southwest Saudi Arabia between the Asir Mountains and the Red Sea coast.
Herein, the Tihamat-Asir area aeromagnetic data are re-interpreted to explain the…
The present work deals with the strain analysis and deformation of the Zalm area which is located in the central
part of the central Nabitah suture belt, which separates the continental Afif…