Applications of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems to assess ferrous minerals and iron oxide of Tokat province in Turkey

Tokat province is one of the least studied areas in Turkey. Updated spatial information about ferrous minerals (FM) and iron oxide (IO) is often required for studies focusing on environmental modelling, agriculture, and mining. In this study, FM and IO attributes of the province were assessed and mapped by evaluating Landsat-ETM + satellite images. To avoid incorrect interpretations, dense plant or closed forest areas were determined using the normalized difference vegetative index, and excluded from the evaluation by masking. FM and IO index maps were produced using related algorithms and remote sensing tools. Classification and spatial analysis operations were conducted under the framework of Geographic Information Systems. A natural breaks method was employed for classification, and both indices were summarized in nine classes. The relationship between two index maps was investigated using a bi-variety correlation analysis. The correlation between two index maps (0.549) was found to be significant at the 1% level. Developed index maps were tested using ancillary data from previous studies in the area. The results were summarized at the administrative district level.