Green exploration for hydrothermal alterations and mineral targeting via selective principal component analysis on ASTER data: A case study from the northern Siroua Massif, central Anti-Atlas, Morocco

Located in northern Siroua, the study area contains mostly magmatic and sedimentary rocks ranging from Neoproterozoic to recent.We applied the principal component analysis (PCA) to selected subsets of four ASTER bands covering the visible-near infrared (VNIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) spectral ranges to detect minerals of argillic (kaolinite-alunite), phyllic (illite), propylitic (epidote-chlorite-calcite), and potassic (quartz-K-feldspar) alteration associated with the Au-Ag-Cu-Mo-Pb-Zn mineralization and establish relationships with the host rocks in the Zgounder mine and Imourkhssen areas.Results demonstrate that integrating this approach with targeted fieldwork and laboratory studies proved effective in delineating new mineralization prospects.Hence, it provides cost-efficient means for initializing comprehensive exploration programs in high-relief, arid terrains with similar geological settings.