JAG

Volume

2 - Issue 2 - 2000

COMMUNICATION

Iron oxide and hydroxyl enhancement using the

Crosta Method: a case study from the Zagros Belt,
Fars Province, Iran
Majid Hashemi Tangestani and Farid Moore
Department

of Geology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, 71454 Shiraz, Iran

KEYWORDS:
analysis,

alteration

mapping,

Landsat-TM,

principal

eigenvalue,

component

eigenvector,

with

color

30-m

spatial

the Thematic

composite

situated

Mapper

in spectral

tures of hydrous
ly altered
ABSTRACT
Following

altered

preliminary

reports

on the probable

ore in the Mashayekh-Nowdan

ponents

method

for the enhancement

oxide stained and hydroxyl-bearing

loadings of visible and infrared

bands was tested

and discrimination

PC2 indicates

between

vegetation.

tance such as iron oxide or hydroxyl-bearing

trated

in subsequent

data transformation
bearing

principal

lower

exposures;

iron oxides. Color composites

case of hydroxyls,

binations

(eigenvector

each

successively

in the

similarities

1988;
ated

environments

[Abrams

Ranjbar & Roonwall,

with

oxides

hydrothermal

have a wide

unrelated
mentary

19971 which

alteration

range

to alteration
there

such as advanced

are types of alteration

argillic

montmorillonite,
generation

a multispectral
This instrument

scanner

launched

has seven

channels

and

have a

to the spectral

linear com-

linear

in such a way

combination,
variance

input

or

[Singh &

variance

in multispectral

response

of various

soils,

surfi-

and vegetation.

follows
on the

& McM.

The

an earlier

area [Hashemi

[Crosta

Tangestani
Crosta

Moore,

of only four

study
&

& McM.
19891 and

image

bands for

19911.
2034-pixel

subscene

image

of Shiraz

aspect,

and
type

and

of

north

Landsat

of Kazerun.
1990.

and amount

availability

northern

the

TM

covers the Mashayekh-Nowdan

on 10 September

the vegetation

the

is a multivariate

of variables

extracted

results of the examinations

are influenced

of soil moisture.

are illustrated
part

of

The image

The area is semi-

the

by
The

for an area that

subscene,

called

Mashayekh-Nowdan.

alluvium.
are ironrocks

GEOLOGY
The Mashayekh-Nowdan

and alunite.
Landsats,

transformation

such as rocks,

quarter

west

covers

sedi-

such as kaolinite,

called the Thematic

elevation,

are often

and siliceous

minerals

1878

arid;

iron

leached. These leached areas are character-

ized by the presence of hydrous

The second

which

minerals

(PC), has a smaller

methodology

area,

be associ-

include

rocks, and weathered

In addition,

sericite,

that

these

where

the 2.2~ym

selects uncorrelated

of this paper, which

was acquired

Kaufman,

However,

of occurrences

oxide

that are highly

might

zones.

phenomena;

red beds, volcanic

free,

et a/, 1983;

hydrous

19971, relies specifically

163/039/3

of years in arid

to locate areas of iron oxides

minerals

fea-

( Figure 1).

Mashayekh-Nowdan

Moore

INTRODUCTION

hydrous

is located

reflectance;

19851. The statistical

PCA [Loughlin,

and/or

where

loadings)

also on the selective

and semi-arid

1 .O pm and are
characteristic

band

highest

that

component

Moore,

with carbonates.

Landsat data have been used for a number

1.65~ym

component

technique

methodology

and iron oxide

behavior

beyond

5 and 7 of

and hence many hydrothermal-

feature

statistical

cial materials

but not as clearly in the

because of some spectral

The
region

images is related

PC4 of unstretched

of hydroxyl

absorption

Harrison,

and on bands 1, 3, 4, and 5, it

images enhance the iron oxide exposures,

strong

principal

impor-

minerals are concen-

components.

spans the

that

on bands 1, 4, 5, and 7 indicates the hydroxyl-

and carbonate

indicates

(PCI) indicates

visible and infrared

Features with

minerals,

rocks.

The principal

of iron

bands of TM bands 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7

the difference

bands, and PC3 indicates

com-

are located

bands

regions that contain

rocks have their

band

Spectral

by the

areas in the region. Eigenvector

show that in each case the first principal component

albedo,

of iron

area, west of Shiraz, principal

analysis on 6 and 4 Landsat-TM

Crosta

occurrence

resolution.

area, which

and 40 km wide,

lies within

Range (29 36 - 30 03 N , 51 31 -

Mountain

the southern

50 km long

Zagros
in 1982, carry

51 56 E) in an area generally

Mapper

(TM).

Belt. The detailed

provides

data

has already

140

is about

geology

been described

known

margin

of the

as Simply

Folded

of the Zagros Mountain

Range

in the literature

[Alavi,

1980;

Iron oxide

and hydroxyl

a4

a6

JAG

enhancement

0.6

IO

u
wad~lh

-.._.._..

bearing

lk

microns
-.-.-.

9resn w9stdon
km-

I.4

soil

or

rock

_--_

1;s

2:o

carbonalehydmxyl-

i2
bwlnp
bearing

2:4
roil or
soil

rock

or rock

Volume

- Issue 2 - 2000

FIGURE 1: Diagrammatic
SpeCtra
illustrating the position of diagnostic iron,
clay, carbonate and chlorophyll absorption bands. (after Kaufman, 1988)

Structurally,
the Mashayekh-Nowdan
area has hardly
been disturbed and several small normal faults of local
importance occur in the anticlines. These small local faults
and some huge slides in the Asmari Formation can be
related to the Kazerun lineament activity. This lineament
is part of the N-S Qatar-Kazerun lineament and passes to
the west of the study area.

Darvishzadeh, 1992; Falcon, 1974; James & Wynd, 19651.

The most prominent structural feature of the area is the
presence of three anticlines, namely the Dashtak anticline, the Nowdan anticline, and the Anar anticline,
which trend parallel to the general trend of the Zagros
Mountain Range, that is, NW-SE (Figure 2).
The exposed formations, in order of oldest to youngest,
are the marly Kazhdumi Formation (Albian), the calcareous Sarvak Formation (Cenomanian-Turonian),
the shaly
Gurpi and Pabdeh Formations (Santonian-Campanian),
the calcareous Asmari Formation (Oligocene-Miocene),
and the evaporitic Gachsaran Formation (Miocene). The
contacts between all these formations are conformable.

Carbonatic formations comprise a large part of the areal

surface,
and among these, exposures of Asmari
Formation are distinctly prominent. This carbonatic formation also exerts an influence on the morphology of the
anticlines. Despite the widespread distribution of Asmari
exposures, it is only on the northern flank of the Anar

FIGURE 2
Geological map of the
western part of the MashayekhNowdan Area (29 36 - 30 03N,
51 31 - 51 56E modified from
NIOC. Map No.2051 2, 1:250,000);
the area covered by the subscene of

the Landsat TM 163/039/3 quarter

image extends some 8 km further
eastwood

141

JAG

Iron oxide and hydroxyl enhancement

anticline that anomalous

quantities
of iron oxides are
reported. Close field observations have revealed that iron
oxides occur mainly as a thin veneer of Quaternary sediments on top of Asmari
of an authochthonous

limestone,

giving

cent of the total

the impression

scene brightness,

strong

correlation

mation

COMPONENTS

ANALYSIS

OF SIX

(TMI,

Table 1 lists the image eigenvalues

tion of decreasing
nents)

variance

and eigenvector

weighted

input

principal

components

ante

matrix,

loadings

(linear

images in the principal

subscene.

out on unstretched

using
bands

the

is composed
indicated

of all total

PC1 accounts

also indicates

was

TABLE I: Principal components

input

bands
PC1
PC2
PC3
PC4
PC5
PC6

FIGURE

3
PC1 image (albedo
MashayekhNowdan area.

which

into

TM2
0.2536
0.3063
-0.0562
0.1349
-0.0265
0.9053

image)

from

PC2

channels

is not

considered

0.3883
0.2984
-0.0386
0.8013
-0.0490
-0.3333

loading

(Figure

is not a measure

which

of TM4
vegetated

1) indicate
is highly

in this PC (0.9091)
pixels will be bright

4). The percentage

PC is only

of vegetation

area, where

that

reflective

of variance
2.55

abundance

percent,
in the

most pixels will contain

some vegetation.

per-

TM3
Eigenvector

6-band

that

visible

(IR) channels (TM5 and 7).

PC3 (in Table

this vegetation

Mashayekh-Nowdan

bands. As

for

that strongly

analysis on 6 TM bands of Mashayekh-Nowdan

TM1
0.3433
0.6778
-0.2427
-0.5411
-0.0498
-0.2614

(PC 1)

for 91.65

the

PC2 of TM4

by vegetation,

in TM4; the positive

of TM on the

component

between

for

loadings

PC3 is dominated

in this PC image

weighting

by the eigenvalues,

loading

Eigenvector

covari-

data.

the first principal

of a positive

difference

2, and 3) and the infrared

mapped
In this transformation,

this into PC1 of the transfor-

of
for a

The transformation

channels.

because it is very close to zero.

compo-

combinations

image

PCA.

for the

for PC2 in Table 1 indicate

loadings
the

Eigenvector

give an indica-

components)

transformation,

on all six reflective

Mashayekh-Nowdan
carried

(which

in successive principal

multispectral

mapped

data

is responsible

(Figure 3).

describes

TM BANDS

2 - Issue 2 - 2000

for the unstretched

or albedo,

between

PCA has effectively

origin.

Eigenvector
PRINCIPAL

variance

Overall

Volume

TM4
matrix
0.2844
0.0913
0.9091
-0.1234
0.2610
-0.0280

TM5

area.
TM7
Eigenvalues

0.6533
-0.5089
-0.0215
-0.1621
-0.5359
-0.0037

0.3988
-0.3003
-0.3307
-0.0483
0.7993
0.0000

(%)

91.65
4.83
2.55
0.53
0.40
0.04

FIGURE 4 PC3 image from 6-band PCA. Vegetated

enhanced in bright pixels.

PCA,

142

areas are

JAG

Iron oxide and hydroxyl enhancement

Having mapped albedo to PC1 and visible to IR differ-

(0.7924)

ences, and vegetation to PCs 2 and 3, respectively, the

remaining three PCs can be expected to contain information due to the varying spectral response of iron oxides
(absorption
in visible bands 1 and 2 and higher
reflectance
in TM3) and hydroxyl-bearing
minerals
(absorption in TM7, higher reflectance in TM5) ( Figure
1). By looking for moderate or large eigenvector loadings
for TM1 and TM3 in PCs where these loadings are also

0.5467)

and moderate

Volume

negative

can be considered

Mashayekh-Nowdan

loading

- Issue 2 - 2000

for TM5

(-

as an H image for the

area.

Table 3 describes the principal components transformation on unstretched TM bands 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the
Mashayekh-Nowdan subscene. TM7 could be substituted
for TM5 in this analysis with little effect on the result;
one SWIR band is omitted deliberately to avoid hydroxyl
mapping. The PCs can be interpreted as albedo in PCI, IR
versus visible in PC2, vegetation in PC3, and iron oxide as
dark pixels in PC4 (eigenvector loading for TM3 = 0.8457 and for TM1 = +0.4825). This PC image (F) can
be negated to show iron oxide stained areas as bright
pixels ( Figure 6).

opposite in sign, we can predict that iron oxides will be

distinguished by bright pixels in PC4 of Table 1.
Hydroxyl-bearing
minerals are mapped as drak pixels in
PC5 due to the fact that the contribution
is negative
from TM5 and positive from TM7 in this PC (Table 1). If
the number of input channels is reduced to avoid a particular spectral contrast, the chances of defining
a
unique PC for a specific mineral class will be increased
[Loughlin, 19911.

The rules for iron oxide

hydroxyl mapping. The
ings for TM1 and TM3
moderate or strong and

mapping are similar to those for

magnitude of eigenvector loadin either PC3 or PC4 should be
opposite in sign.

PCA FOR HYDROXYL AND IRON OXIDE MAPPING

Table 2 describes the principal components transformation on unstretched TM bands 1, 4, 5, and 7 of the
Mashayekh-Nowdan
subscene. TM bands 2 and 3 have
been deliberately omitted to avoid mapping iron oxides,
and it should be noted that TM2 or TM3 could substitute for TM1 in this transformation.
Following the reasoning process described above, we can predict that
PC1 is the albedo image, PC2 describes the contrast
between the short wave infrared (SWIR) and the visible
region, PC3 is brightest for vegetation, and PC4 highlights hydroxyl-bearing
minerals as dark pixels. This
Hydroxyl
(H) image is therefore negated in Figure 5
to show anomalous concentrations
of H as brightest
zones.
The methodology for hydroxyl mapping by PCA on TM
bands 1, 4, 5 and 7 is to examine the eigenvector loadings for bands 5 and 7, in the PC3 and PC4 images. The
PC image that best discriminates hydroxyl-bearing minerals is that with a high or moderate eignvector loading,
irrespective of sign, for TM7 and a high or moderate
eignevector loading of opposite sign for TM5. Negation
of those PCs in which the TM7 loading is positive makes
the anomalous pixels brightest in all cases. PC4 in Table
2 with a relatively strong positive loading for TM7

TABLE

FIGURE

5 PC4 image from 4-band (1, 4, 5, 7) PCA. Hydroxylbearing exposures are in bright pixels (after negation).

Principal components analysis for hydroxyl mapping of Mashayekh-Nowdan

area.
Input bands
PC1
PC2
PC3
PC4

TM1
0.3767
0.8509
-0.3549
-0.0888

TM4
Eigenvector
0.3195
0.2510
0.8772
0.2554

TM5
matrix
0.7428
-0.3863
-0.0008
-0.5467

143

TM7
Eigenvalues
0.4517
-0.2520
-0.3232
0.7924

91.51
4.77
3.21
0.51

(%)

Iron oxide and hydroxyl

JAG

enhancement

TABLE

3 Principal components
Nowdan area.

Input

bands
PC1
PC2
PC3
PC4

TM1
0.3893
0.7615
-0.1886
0.4825

analysis for iron oxide

TM3
Eigenvector
0.4401
0.2929
-0.0720
-0.8457

TM4
matrix
0.3278
0.0064
0.9401
0.0928

mapping

Volume

2 -Issue 2 - 2000

of Mashayekh-

TM5
Eigenvalues
0.7397
-0.5780
-0.2745
0.2081

(%)

91.34
5.15
2.82
0.68

from this is the H+F image. Care should be taken during

this transformation to equalize the statistics of the input
images such that the eigenvector loadings are approximately equal in the output PCs [Loughlin, 19911.
The color composite image is created by stretching the H,
H+F, and F images so that the brightest pixels in each are
favorably enhanced, and the darkest portion of each distribution
is clipped to a certain extent. These three
images can then be combined in various ways to suit the
personal preferences of individual photogeologists.
Different combinations of Crosta images have been empirically assessed, and the combination of H, H+F, and F in
red-green-blue (RGB) has already been suggested in the
literature [Loughlin, 19911. The iron oxide stained areas in
Mashayekh-Nowdan and in some alluvial deposits to the
south are dark blue in this color composite ( Figure 7); the
hydroxyl-bearing areas in central-south and west of the
area are sharp yellow. The combination of H, H+F, and F
images as green, blue, and red, respectively, enhances the
iron oxide stained areas in magenta to reddish and the
hydroxyl-bearing areas in light blue ( Figure 8). All the
rock and soil materials in the area are affected to some
degree by iron oxide staining, hence, the F images are
merely a measure of the intensity of iron staining. Field
observations indicate that the iron oxide stained areas
coincide with alluvial deposits of the Asmari Formation,
mostly on the northern flank of the Anar anticline.

FIGURE 6 PC4 image from 4-band (1, 3, 4, 5) PCA. Iron oxide

stained areas are in bright pixels ( after negation).

DISCUSSION

AND

RESULTS

The monochrome hydroxyl and iron oxide images produced

by PCA on four bands (such as those in Figures 5 and 6)
are easy to interpret in that anomalous concentrations of
each mineral category are represented by the brightest pixels on each image (after negation in some cases). There is
no need to consult the eigenvector matrices after the
images have been created to understand and interpret
these images; this would be necessary for PC images from
a six-band principal component transformation.

In the study area, the Asmari Formation contains up to 1

wt. percent iron oxide. The weathered products of Asmari
carbonatic rocks are accumulated in the form of alluvial
deposits covering the low angle slopes of Anar anticline.
Considering the rather high iron oxide content of the parent carbonate, it is not surprising to find that the alluvium is further enriched to about 5 wt. percent [Hashemi
Tangestani & Moore, 19971. However, despite distinct
enhancement of iron-oxide-rich
exposures in the Anar
anticline and previous reports of probable iron ore occurrence, the present study indicates that the iron content is
too low to be considered. Field observation further
reveals that hydroxide enhancements both in PC images
and color composites coincide mainly with Pabdeh-Gurpi
shales and Asmari carbonate. Figure 1 shows that hydroxide and carbonate minerals both have relatively strong

The Crosta images have another advantage in that they

can be added together to produce an image (an H+F
image ) on which pixels with anomalous concentrations
of both hydroxyls and iron oxides are the brightest. The
H+F image is produced simply by adding the H and F
images and resealing the resultant image to 256 gray levels. An alternative can be a pairwise PCA using the H and
F images as the two input bands. One of the two PCs

144

JAG

Iron oxide and hydroxyl enhancement

absorption

7 of TM, so the likelihood

in band

in principal

component

of their

transformations

Minais Gerais State, Brazil: A prospecting

case history in
Greenstone belt terrain. Proceedings of the 7th (ERIM) Thematic
Conference; Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology, pp. 11731187.

and

even in ratioing processes is high. Considering the similar

spectral behavior of these compounds, their co-appearance in enhanced images is not unusual. In conclusion,
although good enhancements were obtained for iron
oxide and hydroxide exposures using PC transformations,
field observations and laboratory analyses refute the presence of ore grade anomalies in this area.
The comparison

of principal

component

analyses

Darvishzadeh, A., 1992. Geology

Iran, pp. 901. [In Persian].

Hashemi Tangestani, M. & F. Moore, 1997. Application of TM data

for discrimination
of lithologic
and weathered
units in
Mammassani-Kazerun
area, Fars Province, Iran. Proceedings of
the Second Annual Conference of the Geological Society of
Iran, Meshed, Iran, pp. 546-550.

on 6

area indicates that use of 4 bands in each analysis is more suitable

because enhancement of hydroxyl or iron oxide exposures
can be obtained by direct reference to the fourth principal component.

James, G.A.
& J.C. Wynd, 1965. Stratigraphic
nomenclature
Iranian oil consortium agreement area. American Association
Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 49(12): 2182-2245.

would

which

Loughlin, W.P., 1991. Principal Component Analysis for alteration

mapping.
Photogrammetric
Engineering
& Remote Sensing
57(g): 1163-I 169.

like to thank

for Grant

this research

could

the Research Council

No. 77-X-l

of

Ranjbar, H. & G.S. Roonwall, 1997. Integrated mineral exploration

for porphyry copper mineralization in Pariz area, Kerman, Iran: a
case study of the Darrehzar porphyry copper deposit. In: Heikki
Papunen (Ed.), Mineral Deposits: Research and Exploration;
Where Do They Meet? Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 677-879.

131- 638, without

not have been conducted.

Singh, A. & A. Harrison, 1985. Standardized principal components.

International Journal of Remote Sensing 6(6): 883-896.

REFERENCES
Abrams, M.J., D. Brown, L. Lepley & R. Sadowski, 1983. Remote
sensing of porphyry copper deposits in Southern Arizona.
Economic Geology 78: 591-604.

R,ESUME

Alavi, M., 1980. Tectonostratigraphic evolution to the Zagros sides

of Iran. Geology 8: 144-149.
Crosta, A.P. & J. McM.
Thematic

Mapper

of
of

Kaufman, H., 1988. Mineral exploration

along the Aqaba-Levant
structure by use of TM-data concepts, processing and results.
International Journal of Remote Sensing 9(10 & 11): 1630-l 658.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Shiraz University

of Iran. Amir Kabir Publications,

Falcon, N.L., 1974. Southern Iran: Zagros Mountains, in MesozoicCenozoic erogenic belt. Geological Society of London, Special
Publication, pp. 199-2 1 1.

and 4 TM bands of the Mashayekh-Nowdan

The authors

Volume 2 - Issue 2 - 2000

FIGURE8 Color composite on F, H, and H+F images as Red,

Green, and Blue, respectively (more details in the text).

FIGURE7 Color composite on H, H+F, and F images as Red,

Green, and Blue, respectively (more details in the text).

enhancement

Suivant des rapports preliminaires sur la presence probable de

minerai de fer dans le Mashayekh-Nowdan, a Iouest de Shiraz,
des analyses de composants principaux dans les bandes 6 et 4
de Landsat-TM ont et& test&es par la methode Crosta pour

Moore, 1989. Enhancement

of Landsat
imagery for residual soil mapping in SW

145

Iron oxide and hydroxyl enhancement

JAG

Iaccentuation et la discrimination de zones teintees doxyde de

fer et porteur dhydroxyle
dans la region. Les vecteurs
propres dans le visible et infrarouge des bandes TM 1, 3, 4, 5 et
7 montrent que dans chaque cas le premier composant principal
(PCI) indique Ialbedo, PC2 indique la difference entre les
bandes visible et infrarouge et PC3 indique la vegetation. Des
details de moindre importance tels que Ioxyde de fer ou des
mineraux porteurs dhydroxyle sont concentres dans les composants principaux suivants. PC4 issu de la transformation de donnees non etirees sur les bandes 1, 4, 5 et 7 indique de Ihydroxyle et des affleurements de carbonate ; et sur les bandes 1, 3, 4
et 5 il indique des oxydes de fer. Des couleurs composees
dimages dhydroxyle et doxyde de fer accentuent les traces
doxyde de fer, mais pas aussi clairement dans le cas dhydroxyle, a cause de certaines similarites de comportement spectral
avec les carbonates.

Volume 2 - Issue 2 - 2000

de oxides de hierro y productores de oxhidrilos en la region. Los

valores de eigenvectores de las radiaciones visibles e infrarrojas
de las bandas TM 1, 3, 4, 5, y 7 muestran que, en cada case, el
primer principal componente (PCI) indica el albedo, el PC2 indica la diferencia entre las bandas visibles e infrarrojas, y el PC3
indica la vegetaci6n. Rasgos de menor importancia coma bxidos
de hierro o minerales portadores de oxhidrilos se concentran en
10s principales componentes siguientes. El PC4 de datos transformados en las bandas 1, 4, 5, y 7 indica 10s afloramientos de
oxhidrilos y carbonates; el PC4 de datos transformados en las
bandas 1, 3, 4, y 5 indica oxides de hierro. Composiciones de
colores a partir de las imagenes representando oxhidrilos y 6xidos de hierro realzan 10safloramientos de oxides de hierro, pero
no tan claramente en el case de 10s oxhidrilos debido a algunas
semejanzas de comportamiento espectral con 10scarbonates.

RESUMEN
A continuation de informes preliminares sobre la ocurrencia probable de mineral de hierro en el area de Mashayekh-Nowdan, al
oeste de Shiraz, se ensayo un analisis de componentes principales con seis y cuatro bandas de Landsat TM mediante el metodo
Crosta, con fines de realzar y discriminar las areas impregnadas

146