Mapping hydrothermal altered mineral deposits using Landsat 7 ETM+ image in and around Kuju volcano, Kyushu, Japan

To evaluate the conventional methods for mapping hydrothermal altered deposits by using Landsat 7 ETM+ image in and around Kuju volcano is the prime target of our study. The Kuju volcano is a mountainous composite which consists of hornblende-andesite lava domes and associated lava flows. We used the colour composite, band ratio, principal component analysis, least square fitting and reference spectra analysis methods. The colour composite and band ratio methods showed very clearly the hydrothermal altered deposits of clay minerals, iron oxides and ferric oxides around the fumaroles. The principal component analysis using the Crosta technique also enabled us to represent undoubtedly the altered hydroxyl and iron-oxide mineral deposits of this region concentrating around the fumaroles. Least square fitting method illustrated the goethite, hematite and clay alteration region. Finally the target detection method for reference spectral analysis by using ENVI 4.3 detected the representative hydrothermal altered minerals around Kuju volcano fumaroles area. Therefore, all the methods showed high efficiency for mapping hydrothermal altered deposits especially iron-oxide minerals such as hematite, goethite and jarosite, which are alteration products of hydrothermal sulfides around the fumaroles.