Potential for lithological mapping at the northern end of the eastern slope of the Polar Urals using data from the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 remote sensing satellite

For the first time, lithological mapping has been carried out for the Shchuchinsky zone of the Polar Urals using the space decoding method on the basis of digital data from the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 remote sensing instrument. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 satellite data with modern image processing methods for lithological mapping of the northeastern slope of the Polar Urals (the Shchuchinsk zone hosting the Yunyaginskoye Au-Fe deposit). We have created a lithological map of the study area showing a strong correlation with the existing geological map of the region. Specifically, metamorphosed rocks are reliably identified by dark blue to violet hues, ultramafic rocks by red, and a combination of green and blue indicates areas of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The study results confirm the effectiveness of the chosen approach and demonstrate a significant potential of using this satellite imagery for geological mapping in high-mountain terrain with a thin cover of Quaternary sediments (up to 6 m). To further improve the accuracy and expand the method applicability, integration with other satellite image processing techniques that effectively identify lithological units under thicker Quaternary cover is recommended together with fieldwork verification.