LAUSR

Secondary iron minerals associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) such as copiapite, jarosite, schwertmannite, goethite, ferrihydrite, and hematite can be generated from pyrite oxidation. This study was an effort to determine the AMD potential of the Darrehzar mine, a porphyry copper mine in the Kerman Cenozoic magmatic arc, using remote sensing and field data. The spectral angle mapper method was applied on Sentinel 2a images to identify AMD minerals and classify the study area. The produced map was verified by field surveys and laboratory analysis of rocks and sediments as well as pH and electrical conductivity measurements of water samples. Jarosite–clay group minerals were detected in the mine pit and in an active waste dump, and jarosite–goethite and goethite–hematite group minerals were identified in inactive waste dumps. Moreover, acidic water was observed in the pit, while the neutral water was where it arrives and discharges from the mine.