Exploring Luorite Veins Using Multi-source Remote Sensing Astellite Data: A Case Study from the Shuitou Fluorite Deposit in Inner Mongolia, China

Fluorite is a strategic nonmetallic mineral. Vein fluorite deposits represent the primary source of global fluorite production. The application of remote sensing technology to the exploration and mineral searches of vein-type fluorite deposits is of great significance. In this paper, the Shuitou fluorite deposit in the east-central part of Inner Mongolia is selected as the study area. Based on a comprehensive field geological survey and preliminary research, the authors apply a multi-source remote sensing approach using Landsat-8, ASTER, Sentinel-2, and WorldView-2 images to make mineralization predictions. First, spectral synergy theory was employed to fuse Landsat-8 and WorldView-2 data, thereby generating synergistic data for remote sensing interpretation of stratigraphic lithology and ore-controlling tectonic information in the study area. Additionally, hydroxyl, iron-stained, and silicified alteration information was extracted from Sentinel-2 and ASTER images. Based on the remote sensing interpretation features of known fluorite mining sites, a remote sensing interpretation flag of fluorite mining in the study area was established. This was then applied to the GIS platform, which was used to analyze the extracted feature information with weighted superposition and to carry out a comprehensive prediction of fluorite mining in the study area. The results demonstrate that the false-color composite image, which has been fused with data from both Landsat-8 and WorldView-2, is an effective tool for distinguishing fluorite mineralization points. In vein-type fluorite deposits, the ore body exhibits distinct vertical zonation, while in surface outcrops, more siliceous tops develop. The combination of silica and hydroxyl alteration anomalies can be used as the basis for identifying the key characteristics of fluorite mineralization. The results of this comprehensive GIS prediction and the known ore points align well, thereby corroborating the efficacy of the utilization of multisource remote sensing data in vein-type fluorite deposits for the purposes of exploration and the search for minerals, as well as the prediction of three new target areas. The results are suitable for use as a basis for subsequent surveys and as a reference for the remote sensing of fluorite vein systems exploration in other areas.