THE PETROLOGY, MAJOR ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY AND MINERALIZATION OF THE GANAWURI YOUNGER GRANITE COMPLEX, NIGERIA

No Thumbnail Available
Date
1996-11
Authors
EFFIOM TARH, EMMANUEL MFONGANG
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Ganawuri Complex, mapped on a scale of 1:25,000, is one of the androgenic granite Pluto occurring within the central axis of the Nigerian Younger Granite Province. This complex comprises several granites of biotite, hornblende and fatality composition, with the biotech - bearing ones being predominant. The granites have near vertical contacts at their boundaries with the rocks of the Basement Complex, while being of lower angle to near horizontal with successive granite phases. Joints follow a generally WNW-ESE pattern, which is also the dominant regional trend. Their combined action on the rocks has resulted into rectangular slabs covering a good portion of the entire area. The lithe-units show a certain consistency in their mineralogy, with their major constituent minerals and accessory minerals varying only slightly. Peripatetic microcosmic and albeit occur, alongside quartz, biotech and hornblende in the earlier phases, while orthoclase and fatality occur in the later phases. Geo-chemically, the rocks are silica-rich, and their alkali content increases with the sequence of emplacement. There is a general trend of a decrease in Si02 with an accompanying enrichment in alkali content. Also evident is a depletion in Fe203 in favor of MgO, an abundance of soda over potash and a consistent excess of alumina over the alkalies. The original magma must have been peraluminous, and derived from partial melting of Basement rocks. Three separate phases of magmatic activity have occurred: viii the first initiating the hornblende - biotech - granite; the second starting with the hornblende-fatality-granite and the final phase being the intrusion of dykes. Tin mineralization in the Ganawuri Complex is in the form of Cassiterite, now exploited as secondary deposits in river sediments, which have resulted from erosion of quartz-rich veins. The latter constitute the primary mineralization and resulted from fracture-controlled, geneticist processes
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Geology (Mineral Exploration) Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria NOVEMBER, 1996
Keywords
PETROLOGY,, MAJOR ELEMENT, GEOCHEMISTRY,, MINERALIZATION,, YOUNGER,, GRANITE,, COMPLEX.
Citation
Collections