The
paper describes a mineral potential mapping of gold and other base metals in
Mahneshan area, Iran, using
geographical information system (GIS), in which, the method of weights of
evidence is used to combine spatial data obtained from different sources to make
prediction for mineral potential. This is a quantitative tool for mineral
resource mapping that can be used to delineate and predict favorable areas for
further exploration by using the characteristics of known and similar mineral
deposits. In accord with the descriptive model for gold and other base metal
deposits, the spatial distribution of 20 known mineral occurrences was used. In
addition, digital evidential maps were used in this study. The maps include maps
of lithological units, faults and first derivative of total aeromagnetic data,
remotely-sensing data of alteration and also geochemical evidential maps
produced on the basis of the results of chemical analyses of samples taken from
the stream sediments in the area, and analysed for Cu, Pb, Zn, Sb, As, Ag, Au,
Ba and Hg elements. The binary maps were produced and then combined with the
model of weights of evidence using 20 known mineral occurrences to obtain a
final map of the favourable areas for further exploration of gold and other base
metals in the study area. The final map is a predictive GIS model of the mineral
deposits in the area. An interesting matter about the final predictive GIS model
is that the faults are mainly located in favorable areas which possesses the
most probability of mineralisation. Therefore, the faults in these areas have
priority for further exploration of gold and others base
metals.