A Hybrid Neuro-Fuzzy Model for Mineral Potential Mapping

A GIS-based hybrid neuro-fuzzy approach to mineral potential mapping implements a Takagi–Sugeno type fuzzy inference system in a four-layered feed-forward adaptive neural network. In this approach, each unique combination of predictor patterns is considered a feature vector whose components are derived by knowledge-based ordinal encoding of the constituent predictor patterns. A subset of feature vectors with a known output target vector (i.e., unique conditions known to be associated with either a mineralized or a barren location), extracted from a set of all feature vectors, is used for the training of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system. Training involves iterative adjustment of parameters of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system using a hybrid learning procedure for mapping each training vector to its output target vector with minimum sum of squared error. The trained adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system is used to process all feature vectors. The output for each feature vector is a value that indicates the extent to which a feature vector belongs to the mineralized class or the barren class. These values are used to generate a favorability map. The procedure is applied to regional-scale base metal potential mapping in a study area located in the Aravalli metallogenic province (western India). The adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system demarcates high favorability zones occupying 9.75% of the study area and identifies 96% of the known base metal deposits. This result is significant both in terms of reduction in search area and the percentage of deposits identified.