Integrated gold prospectivity mapping in Um Garayat, Egypt

Abstract

The gold mining sector necessitates the adoption of efficient, fast and contemporary technologies for gold exploration that accurately describe the structural setup, shear zones, faults, and other related geological features associated with mineralisation. In this work, a survey utilising land magnetics, induced polarisation (IP), transient electromagnetic (TEM), and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was utilised to map and primarily characterise potential gold ore deposits in Um Garayat, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Potential polymetallic exploration in the region is also well-known. It includes Au, Ag, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mo. Field geology, remote sensing, and geophysical investigations have been conducted in the vicinity of the ancient gold mine to investigate the distribution of the mineralised ore deposits in the Um Garayat region vertically and horizontally. To validate results, field geologic studies were conducted across numerous traverses guided by remote sensing. The results of this investigation demonstrate that low resistivity and high chargeability were indicative of ore deposit regions in the geophysical data. The subsurface magnetic susceptibility distribution validates the area's complexity. According to an integrated interpretation of the collected results, the new possible potential ore deposits are associated with hydrothermally altered zones associated with fracture zones and faults present in the form of zones of varying thicknesses. In Um Garayat, recently discovered mineral occurrences are governed by the major faults and the enrichment of hydrothermal fluids along these fault zones.