Prospecting and geochemical investigation of promising chromite areas in the northeast of Shahrud; Joghatay-Sabzevar metallogenic belt

The Mayamey area (northeast of Shahrud), which forms a part of the Joghatay-Sabzevar zone, hosted Padiform chromite deposits with Harzburgite (ophiolitic) host rock, in which serpentine alteration is strongly spread. In this study, in order to identify the promising areas of chromite mineralization, host rock evidence maps (lithological), serpentine alteration resulting from remote sensing data processing, fault density, geophysics-magnetism, and geochemical of Cr have been used. Then, using the Fuzzy-Gamma function and the gamma value of 0.85, the evidence maps were weighted and fuzzified between 0 and 1 and integrated with each other in the GIS environment. According to the final map of chromite potential, the access roads and geological conditions of 11 areas were determined as exploration targets. Based on the searches, it was found that out of the 11 designated areas, there were three active mines, six promising areas, and two areas without chromite mineralization. The results of XRF analysis of two control samples S4 and S5 showed that the grade of chromite in these areas is 40.02% and 52.44%, respectively, which shows the economic grade of chromite, high accuracy, and the correct method of combining the selected observer maps in this is study. Also, the geochemical study showed that the amounts of MgO, Al2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3, and Cr2O3 are consistent with the accumulation type chromites and the chromites of the study area are rich in Cr and to some extent Fe and poor in Al.