Delineation of Iron Alteration Zones using Spectrum-Area Fractal Model and TOPSIS Decision-Making Method in Tarom Metallogenic Zone, NW Iran

Signal analysis approaches are a powerful and widely used tool in processing multi- spectral satellite images for detection of alteration zones. The main goal of this work is application of the spectrum-area fractal methodology based on the Landsat 8 OLI satellite images’ data for separation alteration zones for iron oxides at the Tarom region (NW Iran). These alteration zones, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Normalized Difference Water Index (NWDI) are detected using the band-ratio and band combination methods. Then the calculated values are categorized by Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), k-means, and S-A fractal model. Considering a positive correlation of iron oxides alterations along with magnetite mineralization as an index of mineralization at the studied region, the promising areas are classified by a decision-making model using the TOPSIS method with an acceptable accuracy for presenting in the exploration models.