Gold Prospecting using Remote sensing and GIS in South Awdal, northern Somalia

South Awdal is a fully-fledged area of naturally viable gold mineralization and other gemstones. Prior studies bore by Greenwood (1960, 1961); Gellatly (1961, 1963, 1964); Daniels et al. (1965); Greenwood and Bleackley (1967); Greenwood et al. (1967) were related and, more importantly, subsequent studies by Ibrahim and Kafia (2020), Abubakar and Abdinasir (2022), and Mursal and Dr. Abdisalam (2023) have corroborated geological features and substantial mineral resources such as gold, iron ore, actinolite, and emeralds in the mountain of Borama. Despite these findings, ample geological potential is still waiting for exploration in Somalia, chiefly due to historic and logistic constraints. The 24 surface samples shown in Tables 1 revealed low gold content, suggesting the need for future exploratory work using trenches and core drills. Currently, gold mining in northeast Borama is done in open pits and quarries, avoiding high capital investment in conventional mining methods.

Advent in industrial technology through remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) has facilitated, in recent years, exploration strategies for mineral deposits. This study adopts remote sensing and GIS technologies to discover and map the economic potential for gold mineralization in the South Awdal region. The interpretation of multispectral images and geospatial analysis suggested by the reconnaissance of geological formations, structural controls, and alteration zones is directed towards signs of gold deposits. This forms an inexpensive and efficient means to conduct a preliminary survey for finding minerals, hence reducing the number of extensive ground surveys. The evidence suggests remote sensing and GIS technologies have their efficacy when augmenting mineral exploration in arid and semi-arid regions such as South Awdal.