COMPARATIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF AIRBORNE GAMMA RAY SPECTROMETRIC INTERPRETATION TECHNIQUES TO GEOLOGICAL MAPPING

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Nuclear Materials Authority. B.O.Box, 530 Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Airborne gamma ray spectrometry has been used for many years for the direct detection of ore bodies and as an aid in surficial lithological mapping. The present work deals with the application of different interpetation techniques, such as multivariate analysis, composite ternary map and zoning, to estimate the relative merit of these three tools, to define their limitations and advantages in different situations. The present work represents a case study which utilizes the information of the distribution of potassium, uranium, thorium and their ratios in the chosen area of Wadi Saqia area, Central Eastern Desert of Egypt for delineating its lithological and structural features. The contribution of aerial gamma-ray spectrometric survey data to surface geological mapping and mineral exploration depends on the extent to which radioelement distribution relates to bedrock differences and the extent to which these are recognizably modified by mineralizing processes. There are cases, however, that these techniques could not successfully identify boundaries and structures