LITHOLOGICAL MAPPING OF IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS IN THE CENTRAL EASTERN DESERT OF EGYPT USING REMOTE SENSING DATA

ABSTRACT: The Central Eastern Desert of Egypt is composed mainly of Precambrian metamorphic and magmatic assemblages including ophiolitic serpentinite talc-carbonate rocks and calc-alkaline metavolcanics which are intruded by syn to late to post orogenic granitoids. This study is focused on the Wadi Umm Gheig area which comprises El Sibai-Um Shaddad and Kadabora-Suwayqat areas. The integrated remotely sensed processed data together with the field study have been used to discriminate the exposed metamorphic and magmatic basement rock assemblages as well as modifying the previously geological mapping for the study areas. At Gabal El Sibai-Um Shaddad area. The different ASTER band ratio thermal data including (b12/b13), (b10×b11/b13×b14) and (b12/b14) successfully discriminated the ophiolitic serpentinite talc-carbonate rocks, granites and metavolcanics respectively. On the other hand, the exposed basement rocks of Kadabora-Suwayqat area have been successfully discriminated on Landsat-8 images including, Minimum Noise Fraction MNF (4, 3, 7), Principal component analysis (PC6, PC2, PC7) and various band ratios (b6/b2, b6/b7 b6/b5xb4b5) and (b7/b6, b7/b5, b5/b3). Comparing the results of the investigated study with the previously published geological maps for the study two areas, the present study produced geological maps which are the best in lithological discrimination and lithological boundaries