Utilization of Landsat-8 data for lithological mapping of neoproterozoic basement rocks in north Qena-Safaga road, North Eastern Desert, Egypt

Mapping an area accurately with semi-variable lithological units of basement rocks is challenging. Although free-of-charge remote sensing data have boosted the lithological mapping studies, the accuracy and validation of the results are still questionable. This work aims to combine remote sensing techniques and petrographical studies with field investigation in order to discriminate the basement rocks at a part of the Arabian Nubian Shield (ANS) near Al-Baroud area, North Eastern Desert of Egypt. The lithological units in the study area were successfully discriminated based on their spectral characteristics. Several processing techniques on Landsat-8 images were applied, such as MNF (3, 2, and 1), FCC (7, 6, and 5), and (7, 5, and 1), and PCA (PC1, PC2, and PC3) and (PC2, PC1, and PC4), in addition to three composite band ratios (6/7, 5/6, and 4/2), (5/7, 6/4x7, and 5/1), and (7/5x3, 6/4x7, and 5/3x4), with the aid of supervised and unsupervised classifications. The results reveal that the rock units in the study area belong to the Late Cryogenian-Ediacaran magmatism of East African Orogeny (EAO). The core idea of this work is to combine several remote sensing techniques with petrographical study and field investigation to provide an innovative and integrated methodology to discriminate the ANS basement rocks, which can be applied elsewhere in similar territories.