GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND PROVENANCE OF ALLUVIAL GOLD MINERALIZATION IN RIVER GAGARE DRAINAGE BASIN, WONAKA SCHIST BELT, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA
GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND PROVENANCE OF ALLUVIAL GOLD MINERALIZATION IN RIVER GAGARE DRAINAGE BASIN, WONAKA SCHIST BELT, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA
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Date
2017-11
Authors
GREMA, HARUNA MUHAMMED
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Abstract
Gold occurrence in Nigeria is known to be associated with the schist belts in the western
half of the country. Amongst these is the Wonaka schist belt that has widespread occurrence
of placer Au without identified primary sources, which has remained puzzling. This study
applied morphological and mineral chemistry analyses of gold grains to characterize and
determine the provenance of gold grains within the River Gagare drainage basin and also
estimate the transport distances and provide insight into the possible mineralization style.
Analytical techniques and methods employed include transmitted light microscopy, sieve
analysis, binocular microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive
spectroscopy. These were used to carry out petrographic examination of the rocks,
sedimentological studies of the gold-bearing stream sediments and heavy mineral
concentrates and also to determine gold grain surface characteristics such as roundness,
flatness, outline, surface texture and composition. The study area comprises of
metasediments (quartz-mica schist, phyllite, metasandstone), granitoids (porphyritic
granite, and diorite) and granitic gneiss, with aplite, quartz and quartzo-feldspathic veins as
the minor rock occurrences. The dominant tectonic fabric within the metasediments and
the granite gneiss are the steeply dipping, N-S, NW-SE and NE-SW trending, phyllitic
cleavage, schistose foliations (S1) and gneissocity respectively. Gold grains from class 1, 4,
and 5 are all of the B and C types, with similar flatness indices ranging from 2.5 to 11. Most
of the gold grains from these classes are equant and elongated having moderately smoothen
surfaces and regular outlines, suggesting short to moderate transport distances (300 m – 15
km). Rivers Kutiri and Gagare have 75% of the gold grains within them belonging to the Ctype
group, with catchment area consisting of all the classes, and flatness indices between 3
and 46. Primitive and trunk placers give them a multisource. The sources may be more
distant than indicated by the ratios of A-type to B-type and B-type to C-type grains
determined by the morphological characteristics. Lack of delicate secondary growth,
pristine type, sharply crystalline Au grains, and Au overgrowth are indicative of detrital
origin. All the representative gold grains plotted in the mesothermal field of the ternary Au-
Agx10-Cux100 plot with low Cu and enriched Ag contents. Additionally, 70% of the
recovered Au grains were less than 60 μm in size typical for Au from Archean granitegreenstone
terrains.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA; IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN GEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY,
FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA - NIGERIA
Keywords
GEOLOGY,, MINERALOGY,, PROVENANCE,, ALLUVIAL GOLD MINERALIZATION,, RIVER GAGARE DRAINAGE BASIN,, WONAKA SCHIST BELT,, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA