Remote sensing as applied to mineral exploration in the Chalkidiki peninsula, northern Greece

Landsat (TM) imagery studies combined with photogeology, heliborne EM-radiometric interpretations and field data provided the fracture pattern in the eastern Chalkidiki peninsula, northern Greece. Processing of the respective data revealed the following four main directions of lineaments trending 070°–080°, 120°–130°, N-S and E-W. This fracture pattern is persistent in all geological units including the Tertiary basins and may represent reactivated older or even Tertiary fractures superimposed on all units. The control and the distribution of the major mineralization such as PbZn (AuAg) massive sulphides, Mn (Fe) oxides, and porphyry Cu (Au) are of similar orientation to the deduced fracture pattern. These findings support the remote sensing is an important mineral exploration tool which can become quite effective when combined with ore deposit type, geochemical and geophysical data in partly explored areas.