A multisource remote sensing – Fuzzy logic framework for uranium exploration in the newly identified bangoua prospect, Cameroon

• Gummite and shear-zone-hosted hydrothermal alteration are key indicators of uranium mineralization. • Mapped lineaments reflect Pan-African shear zone and faults. • D 2 -D 3 deformation phases exert a primary control on mineralization. • Fuzzy logic modelling efficiently delineates high-potential uranium targets. • The study provides a robust framework for uranium exploration in sub-tropical regions and beyond. The exploration and exploitation of metal deposits play a crucial role in economic growth for developing countries. In Cameroon's subtropical zone, specifically within the Bangoua prospect in the Central African Orogenic Belt (CAfOB), these activities are hindered by natural factors (thick lateritic cover, dense vegetation, mountainous terrain, and scarce outcrops) as well as by the high costs of exploration. Despite the uranium potential of this prospect, it remains underexplored. In this study, Landsat-9 OLI-2/TIRS-2 and ASTER images, GIS, and field data analyses were used for mineralogical and structural mapping to identify areas suitable for uranium exploration. Following pre-processing, edge detection using Sobel filters and automatic extraction enabled the identification of lineaments. Spectral enhancement techniques, including band ratios, band combinations, Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Linear Spectral Unmixing (LSU), were applied to delineate hydrothermal alteration zones. The lineament networks trend predominantly NE–SW, NNE–SSW, NW–SE, E–W, and N–S, and represent imprints of the Tcholliré–Banyo Shear Zone and the Central Cameroon Shear Zone, developed during the Pan-African orogeny. The extracted zones, rich in iron oxides/hydroxides, clay minerals (kaolinite, pyrophyllite, and alunite), phyllitic minerals (sericite), and propylitic minerals (calcite and epidote), show a good spatial association with the lineaments. Field investigations confirmed the presence of gummite, hydrothermal alteration zones, and metasomaties hosted by shear zones developed during the D 2 and D 3 deformation phases. Integrating the various thematic layers using fuzzy logic modelling enabled the production of a mineral prospectivity map highlighting high-potential areas. This study provides the first integrated remote sensing-based and modelling approach for uranium exploration in Cameroon and the CAfOB. It also offers valuable guidance for future rapid and sustainable exploration projects in comparable geological contexts worldwide.