Geological Controls and Prospectivity Mapping for Manganese Ore Deposits Using Predictive Modeling Comparison: An Integration of Outcrop and Remote Sensing Data, Sinai Microplate, Egypt

One of the most controversial minerals in their origin and occurrence around the world is manganese deposits. The Abu Zenima area is rated one of the most economically important places where manganese ore deposits (Mn ODs) are located in the southwest Sinai microplate, Egypt. These deposits are confined with the Um Bogma Formation (UBF) and the reserves of this region are relatively small. In this study, optical and radar data are used in a new challenge as an attempt to reach the closest controls and setting of Mn ODs. Moreover, Frequency Ratio (FR) and Logistic Regression (LogR) predictive models are applied to integrate different geospatial thematic maps, to predict new potential resource zones for increasing the ranges of mining quarries. Landsat8 OLI, Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument and Radar (Sentinel-1B) data are combined for mapping Mn ODs locations and their relationship with geological structures and the surrounding rocks. Band ratio, Principal and Independent Component Analysis techniques and four classification algorithms were implemented to the optical' VNIR and SWIR bands. Unusually, the interferometric processing steps for Sentinel-1 data were made for understanding the tectonic features in the area. The FR and LogR models are validated during fieldwork with known Mn ODs locations. Results indicate that processed images are capable of differentiation of UBF which broadly distributed in the central and southern parts of the area. Mn ODs possibly formed by thermal events that attributed to paleo-volcanic events before the rift stage. The high accuracy of Log R model (0.902) suggests that high Mn ODs potential zones are identified within the intersected fault zones near granitic units. This integration is recommended for discriminating hydrothermally Mn ODs in other arid geographic regions.