Epithermal Gold Potential in 1:100000 Ardestan by Using AHP Method in GIS Setting

The 1:100000 sheet of Ardestan is located in the south part of 1:250000 quadrangle of Kashan at 52º to 52º, 30 E and 33º to 33º, 30N in the north west of Isfahan province and Orumieh-Dokhtarvolcanic belt.Most of the rock unit's ofArdestanregion include medium to basic volcanic and pyroclastic rocks, which are related to middle-upper Eocene volcanism phase. Intrusive rocks of this region have low-acidic to acidic combinations and belong to the shallow magmatism phase of Oligocene-Oligo Miocene and sub-volcanic activities of Pliocene. These intrusive rocks cause hydrothermal alteration and then mineralization of elements such as Cu, Mo, Au, Pb, Zn, and Fe. In this thesis, by employing the existing geological maps, systematic geochemical explorations, and known mineral indices together withthe derived information from processing of the existing airborne geophysics and satellite data (e.g. faults, hydrothermal alterations, total magnetic intensity and rock units), a number of different databases were formed.Then, by using the new weighted score method of analytic hierarchy process (AHP),these databases (also known as layers) are weighed based on the predicted genetic model of the region. These weighed layers are then modeled in the GIS system by using the index overlay method. Based on the achieved results from this study, promising area maps for Epithermal Gold is prepared.According to our field observations, sampling and laboratory analyses of the promising areas, 5areas with first priority are considered to have economical potentials and are introduced for the next phases of explorations.