A FIELD REPORT IN AFIKPO EBONYI STATE,NIGERIA

BY

OSUAGWUCHISOMAGAWALTER

(REG.NO:20151010275)

REPORT

SUBMITTEDTOTHE

DEPARTMENTOFGEOLOGY

SCHOOLOFPHYSICALSCIENCES

FEDERALUNIVERSITYOFTECHNOLOGY,OWERRI

INPARTIALFULFILLMENTOFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEAWARDOF
THEDEGREEOFBACHELOROFTECHNOLOGY(B.TECH.)INGEOLOGY

OCTOBER,2021.

DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to God Almighty.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I THANK Department of Geology FUTO for giving me the privilege of
practicing geology and not only learning. Also to the field commandant(Mr.
Essien) and field coordinators (Mr. Echetama and Mr. Obinna) for their
hard work, care and self less services in making this field school a
success.
ABSTRACT

This research wascarried out to evaluate the geological and petrophysical

properties of Afikpo Sandstone within the Afikpo Sub-basin south-eastern
Nigeria.AfikpoSub-basin

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Dedication - - - - - - - - - ii

Acknowledgements - - - - - - - iii

Abstract - - - - - - - - - iv

TableofContents - - - - - - - v

CHAPTERONE

1.0Introduction

1.1Objectives

1.2GeologicalSettings

CHAPTERTWO
METHODSANDMATERIALS

2.1GeologicalFieldMapping

2.2PetrophysicalEvaluation

CHAPTERTHREE

RESULTSANDDISCUSSION

3.1LocalStratigraphy

3.2DescriptionofLithologicUnits

3.2.1UnitA(highlybioturbatedcoarsingupwardsandstoneandshaleunit)

3.2.2 UnitB(highlyferrugenized,medium-

coarsegrained,crossbeddedsandstoneandshaleunit)

3.3SedimentaryStructures

3.3.1Ripplemarks

3.3SieveAnalysis

3.3.2Bedding
3.3.3Laminations

3.3.4Crossbeddings

3.3.5Mucracks

3.3.6Bioturbation

3.3.7Ironconcretionsandnodules

CHAPTERFOUR

4.0Independentfieldmapping

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
Chapter One

Introduction

1.1. Location and Accessibility of Afikpo town.

The study area was Afikpo town, Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria. The
town occupies a land area of 240km² situated between latitude 5°53'35.2''
N and longitude 7°56'14.5'' E with an average elevation of 83m. The
population is about 881,611 as at 2021 (Wikipedia). Afikpo is the second
biggest town in Ebonyi State and its location in the southern border with
Cross Rivers State. Its important townships include Ehugbo, Unwana, Itim,
Ohaisu, Nkpoghoro, Ugwuegu/Amaizu, Ozizza, Amasiri, Ibii/Akpoha. Afikpo
town is accessible by notable roads and footpaths. Afikpo area is accessed
by a diversified road network, such as the Okigwe-Abakiliki-Enugu
expressway, Okposi-Amasiri- Afikpo roads and other minor ones linking the
various towns and communities around the area. Footpaths and feeders
road give accessibility to the study area and its environs. It can also be
accessed through the Cross Rivers water by water transportation means
through Ndibe beach.

1.2. Geomorphology, Vegetation, Climate and landuse of Afikpo town.

The terrains of the study area are not a flat terrain rather an alternation of
high and low land terrain. It is mostly succession of hills and valleys. There
is cultivation on the hills while surface water bodies occupy most of the
valley the hill is strip steep with sudden drop to the valley below.

The vegetative aspect of the study area comprises mostly perennial trees,
grass, stubs and climbers. The vegetation is influenced by human activities,
annual rainfall, topography and other climatic factors. In the dry season, the
grass withers and the shrubs turns yellowish while the vegetation in the
valley still retains its greenish colour due to the shaley soil in the area
which does not permit water to percolate deep into the soil, hence
availability of interrupted by human activities especially in the valley low
land. The valley terrain mostly causes thick vegetation due to the
availability of surface water caused by the impermeable nature of shale.
While in the raining season, partially withered grasses are found in the hills
with occasional occurrences of shrubs and trees and the valley mostly
contains denser vegetation. Vegetation is mostly Guinea Savannah type
due to extensive deforestation. The climate has annual rainfall of about
1500mm - 2000mm. It is drained by streams, rivers, lakes and springs and
has a dendrite pattern.
 Regional Geologic Setting of Afikpo Basin.

The Anambra Basin, southern Benue Trough, Niger Delta, Benin

Embayment, Abakaliki Fold Belt, Afikpo Syncline, and Calabar Flank all
comprise the Southern Nigeria sedimentary Basin. The basin extends from
the Gulf of Guinea in the south to the Zambuk Ridge and Upper Benue
Valley in the north. To the east and west, the Volta River Delta and the
Sanaga River Delta bound the basin (Murat, 1972 in Antolinez, 2006). The
formation of the Southern Nigeria Sedimentary Basin is directly connected
to the rifting of South America and Africa in the Early Cretaceous (Burke et
al., 1971; Burke, 1996). The site of the current Niger Delta was once
occupied by a rift, rift, rift triple junction. Two of the rift arms spread and
formed the Gulf of Guinea and the Equatorial Atlantic. The third rift arm
became an aulacogen (the Benue Trough) that formed the tectonic
foundation for the Southern Nigeria Sedimentary basin. The Benue Trough
runs transversely across Nigeria in a NE-SW direction (Burke et al., 1971;
Reijers et al., 1997). There was an existing earth movement in the
Santonian before we had an existing basin called the Benue Trough. The
tectonic event in the Santonian made earlier platforms high to be
depressions(low). The tectonic event created Okigwe-Abakiliki
Anticlinorium. Two basins were formed; Anambra Basin in the west and
Afikpo Basin at the east (which is smaller). Both basins were formed at the
same time. We are on the eastern part of the anticlinorium Afikpo Basin.
Within this basin, Afikpo Basin shares a transition between the Owerri
basin. After the Santonian, the new basin started receiving sediments.
Lower Benue Trough/ Abakaliki basin; the sediments towards Amasiri is
from the Old basin (Abakaliki basin), it has Campanian Nkporo Group
present in some outcrops in Afikpo and Anambra Basin (twin basins).
Nkporo shale has Afikpo sandstone as its member. Nkporo has a lateral
equivalent called the Enugu shale. Enugu shale has sand members like
Owelle sandstone. Mamu formation is on top of Nkporo shale formerly
called Lower Coal Measure (Lower Campanian to early Maastrichtian). It is
diachronous that is, it formed during two geologic time. Overlying Mamu is
Ajali sandstone, on top of Ajali sandstone is the youngest Cretaceous
which is Nsukka formation. The Nsukka formation was formerly called the
Upper Coal Measure (Reyment, 1965) and it is diachronous too because it
was deposited during the Paleocene-Eocene also known as Danian. Based
on recent studies, the Afikpo Basin was filled last with Nsukka Formation.
Figure 2.1. Megatectonic frame of Southern Nigeria Sedimentary Basin
(Mid-Albian to Santonian). Inset shows the regional setting of the basin
(from Reijers et al., 1997).

Rock units

Stratigraghic Succession of Afikpo Basin

Age Formation Member Lithofacies Maastrichian campanian, Nkporo shale,

Asaga shale Afikpo Sandstone, Gysum, evaporates micaceous Sandstone,
Turonian Ezeaku shale, Amasiri sandstone and water works sandstone
junction shale.
2.5 Cretaceous Sequence in Southern Nigeria, Western Nigeria,
Eastern Nigeria

Paleocene, Abeokuta Formation, Nsukka Formation Maestrician Ajali

Formation, Campanian-Maestrician Basement Complex, Mamu Formation,
Nkporo Formation (Lateral Equivalents are Asata Shale, Enugu Shale,
Owerri Sandstone.) Coniancian-Santonian Agwu Formation, Turonian Eze-
Aku Formation (Lateral Equivalent Amasiri Sandstone.) Cenomanian
Odukpani Formation Albian, Unconformity Unnamed Formations (Abakaliki
Shales) “Asu River Group” Basement Complex.

2.5.0 Litho-stratigraphic Units

The litho-stratigraphic units give a detailed description of the studied area

(Afikpo and its environs) and for easy and convenient purpose have been
divided into seven [6] units, starting with the oldest formation to the
youngest formation. The description starts from the formation, group, super
group, member bed and complex.

Formation:
The litho-stratigraphic from action identified in the studied area include the
Eze-aku formation and the Nkporo formation. The Ezeaku formation is
Turonian in age and contains the Amasiri sandstone, Ozara, Ukwu shale
and the Amauro sandstone. The Nkporo formation is Campanian in age
and contains the Afikpo sandstone.

Group:
The studied area belongs to the Asu river group.
 Super Group:
Stratigraphic group of Afikpo is categorized into lower Benue trough
sediments, the stratigraphy of the Albian sediment is also called the Albian
Asu River super group which contains the Afikpo Synclinorium.

Member:
This is the next in rank after bed in a lithostratigraphic unit, the observed
lithostratigraphic members in the studied area include Amasiri sandstone
member, Ozara Ukwu shale member, Afikpo sandstone member and
others. However, the Amasiri sandstone member consists of the Amasiri
sandstone type. The Ozara Ukwu shale member consists of fossil reddish
brown-black shale formed as a result of oxidation process the Afikpo
Sandstone member consist of coarse grained sands and pebbles that is
milky in colour.

.5 Bed:
This is the lowest rank in lithostratigraphic unit it consist of layers of strat
that ranges from 1cm-few meters ion thickness and can be distinct from
one another either in colour, texture or thickness. With respect to the
studied area, the beds studied include sandstone beds; shale beds coal
beds and others.

2.5.6Complex

The stratigraphic complex of the studied are belongs to the sedimentary

complex of Nigeria. They are cretaceous in age.

Afikpo and its environs constitute major groups which are Eze-Aku Group
as its oldest formation (Turonian), with also Nkporo Group (Campano-
Maastrichtian). The principal rock types include sandstone and shale, and
are thus divided into different units. These lithologic units include:

The Amasiri sandstone

Junction Shale
Water-work sandstone
Water-work shale, which are members of the Eze-Aku Group
Afikpo sandstone (a member of the Nkporo Group)
Amasiri Sandstone: This unit consists of well indurated sandstone beds
interbedded with soft sandstones. The softer beds are laminated and often
interbedded with siltstones and shales, the beds are exposed as ridges and
often have a large lateral extent, cross-bedded and bioturbated.

Junction Shales: Overlying the Amasiri sandstone is the Junction shale

and is distinguished from other shale units by its moderate fissility,
indicating a low calcium carbonate content. The sub units are Junction
shale 1 and Junction shale 2, divided by a dolerite intrusion. The contact
between the Junction shale and the Waterworks sandstone is gradational.

Waterworks Sandstone: This lies conformably on the junction shale. It is

more compact and very thick. The road cuts in the major part of the
waterworks sandstone reveal about 8 to 10 sub units, separated from one
another by contrasting lithology, colour change, differential weathering and
structural features.

Waterworks Shale: It is overlain uncomformably by the Nkporo shale

which undergone serious weathering and is thus covered by plenty of loose
soil.
Afikpo Sandstone: It is thick and lays uncomformably on the Eze-Aku
shale. This unit outcrops by the roundabout along the road leading to
Afikpo town on the left side of the road. Thereis also an upward coarsening
of grains. There is also a fining upward sequence of sediments.

CHAPTER THREE

(Materials And Methods)

The equipment used during the field work include the base map, compass
clinometers, hand lens, Global Positioning System(GPS), camera, geologic
hammer, ranging pole, measuring tape, sample bags, field note, pen, ruler,
mathematical set.

BASE MAP: It showed the outcrop and the direction of a place under
consideration or mapping, it also helped us locate ourselves in the
field. It is very important, since it can be regarded as the first aid to
every field trip in field mapping in geology. The base map helped us
show the outcrop and the directions of the place under-consideration
for mapping.
COMPASS CLINOMETER: It was used to measure the attitude of
outcrops/beds (dip, strike, dip amount, trends of faults and joints).
MEASURING TAPE: It was used to measure the thickness of a bed
during logging and to measure distances with the aid of a ranging
pole.
HAND LENS: It was used for magnification, and used to identify or
view fine particles of the rock.
SAMPLE BAG: It was used for collecting rock samples for analysis in
the laboratory.
GEOLOGICAL CAMERA: It was used for taking photographs
(images) of an outcrop.
PEN AND PENCIL: The pen was used for recording information,
while the pencil is used for sketching or drainage outcrop.
HAMMER: It was used to extract samples from the rocks.
MASKING TAPES: They were used in wrapping the samples and
writing the locations of where the samples were gotten from.
3.0 METHODOLOGY
The methodology used during the field mapping exercise is the
compass and traverse method. Here, the major and minor roads,
including foot paths were used in order to access the outcrops. We
first located ourselves in the field using our Global Positioning
System (GPS) after which it was indicated on the base map
(topographical map). During the course of the exercise, at each
location , GPS readings were taken so as to obtain the latitude and
longitude readings, elevation, observations based on the sediment
types and sizes, along with the attitudes of beds (dip,strike) amount
measurements and trends of joints) were made at the locations
where needed.
Outcrops and cross beddings were taken note of and measured.
Some interbedded outcrops were logged from base to top at some of
our locations. At these points/locations, we tried to determine the
grain sizes, texture, sorting, and mineralogy. It involves four stages;
Reconnaissance, field work, and laboratory work and analysis.
DESKWORK; This research stage is basically the research work
done on the study area that has been earlier carried out so as to help
aid a better understanding of the nature of research that will be
carried out later on, this constitute the early or initial part of the
project.
RECONNAISSANCE; At this stage the topo map was used in the
survey area, the physical features were observed, drainage pattern,
nature, and trends of outcrops, the lithologic units, vegetation
variation and positions of contacts were also observed, a based camp
which will be used later during the actual field map was located and
field guards were met and introduced to, letters were given to the
heads of the villages in the area, the D.P.O and security agents for
security reasons.
FIELD WORK; At this stage outcrops were located , observed and
the position using the geographic positioning system (GPS) in the
which was followed by describing the outcrop based on the rock
types present, lateral extent, gross thickness, bed thickness, textural
features. Sedimentary structures and tectonic structures as well as
biogenic structure. The outcrop/exposure is logged and during the
study samples were collected and properly labeled as well as
photographs of the outcrops and important features was taken for
reference purposes.
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0. Interpretation of structures in the study area.

Location one: Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo.

Unit One:

Lithology: Sandstone

Texture: it is gritty fine to medium size, it also contains clay ( because it

stains the hands when touched).

Colour: Yellowish brown

Sedimentary structures:
Bioturbated.

Longitude: 5°1'51'' E

Latitude: 7°56'146'' N
Unit two:

Lithology: Sandstone

Texture: fine grained. It has

conglomerate unit
which is greater than 25% of
pebble. This shows that a high
energy deposited it.

Colour: reddish-white.

Sedimentary
structures:
Bioturbated.
Unit three:

Lithology: Sandstone

Colour: Reddish to yellowish brown. It contains alot of iron.

Sedimentary structures: Bioturbated and has burrows.

The sandstone were originally deposited in an anoxic environment. A very

high current deposited it. There is presence organisms indicating shoreline
environment.
Unit four ( outside the
camp gate):

Lithology: Conglomerate.

Colour: whitish.

Cultivation exposed this

outcrop while erosion exposed
the one in the camp.

Location two

Unit one:

Lithology: Sandstone
conglomerate/ pebbly.
Colour: Reddish brown to yellowish.

Texture: medium to coarse grain size.

Sedimentary structures: Bioturbated.

Originally, the sandstone were deposited in the bottom by high current from
a tidal environment.

Unit two

Lithology: Sandstone capped with laminae of Reddish ferrogenised

sandstone.

Thickness: 0.79m.

Location three

Lithology: ferrogenised sandstone

Sedimentary structures: they're inclined and called Cross beds. These

crossbeds are dipping and are used for paleocurrent analysis.

Unit one

Dip: 120°SE.

Strike: 30 azimuth.

Dip of main bed: 16°

Dip of crossbed: 24°

Unit two

Dip: 114°SE

Strike: 24°

Lithology quartz grain.

Location four

Unit one

Lithology: Conglomerate

Sedimentary structure: Bioturbated sandstone.

Texture: mixture of sand and clay.

Thickness: 0.74m

It was exposed as a result of quarrying.

Unit two

Lithology: Clay

Texture: Medium grained

Colour: Reddish ferrogenised.

Unit three

Texture: very fine to medium grained.

Thickness: 0.53m.
Location five ( Government secondary school junction)

Longitude: 5.53°67'N

Latitude: 7.55°64'N

Elevation: 298ft

Lithology: Afikpo sandstone.

Strike direction: 60° NE SW.

sedimentary structures: burrows, trace fossils, fault due to tectonic activity.

Unit one

Lithology: Sandstone

Colour: whitish/creamy and brownish because of iron content.

Dip direction: 160° SE

strike direction: 250° azimuth.

Dip amount: 10°

Texture: fine to medium grained.

Thickness: 3.5m

Sedimentary structures: highly jointed which is the pathway for the

transport of groundwater to be stored underground.

Sequence: finning upward sequence.

Location six (Ebonyi hotel gate)

Lithology: Sandstone

Colour: whitish

Texture: fine grained.

Latitude: 5°53.595' N

Longitude: 7°55.166' N

Elevation: 323ft

Sedimentary structures: contains ripple marks which is indicating a shallow

marine environment. The trend of the ripple marks is caused by water
moving in a shallow marine environment.

Mineral content: contains kaolin and opnonopha

It is oxygen-rich.

Location seven (Junction before Macgregor sandstone)

Lithology: Afikpo Sandstone or Macgregor sandstone.

Texture: variations in grain size.

Colour: whitish/yellowish

Sedimentary structures: highly bedded but not Cross lamination. The

outcrop shows horizontal beds with some areas showing cross bedding
signatures. These crossbeds show the direction of paleocurrent flow. It is
also pebbly which indicates high current.

Dip direction: 160° SE

Amount of dip: 15°

Longitude: 7°55.019' E

Latitude: 5°53.630' N

Elevation: ³/8 msl.

Unit two

Sedimentary structures: it contains joints which has been filled with

recrystalized iron and allows the flow of groundwater.

Amountof up dip:10°

Amount of down dip: 29°

Direction of dip: 160° SE

Strike direction: 190° SW NE.

The up dip is of older rock units. At the end of Macgregor Hill, we noticed
the Macgregor shale and it shows the boundary.

Location eight

Boundary between the Macgregor sandstone and works sandstone.

Latitude: 5°53.649' N
Longitude: 7°54.938' E

Elevation: 250ft.

Sedimentary structures: shows angular Unconformity.

Macgregor sandstone is a transition zone between Ezeaku formation and

Nkporo formation.

Location 9 (Works sandstone)

Lithology: Sandstone

Dip amount: 48°

Dip direction: 100° SE. This sandstone location has a high dip which
means it has undergone more uplift than the Macgregor shale and
sandstone.

Sedimentary structures: it contains shale signatures. The shale here shows

Turonian Epoch.

Elevation: 207ft.

Latitude: 5°53.782' N

Longitude: 7°54.865' E.

The outcrop shows a repeller which is 53°.

Location ten (Junction shale 2)

This is Ezeaku formation with Amasiri sandstone as its member. This
member has junction shale 1 and 2. At this location we have boundary
between Amasiri sandstone (junction shale 2) and works sandstone. The
more u move towards the Ezeaku formation, the more the bedding planes
are almost vertical. The dip amount gets bigger. The colour of the formation
is cream. It is highly pebbly which are sub-rounded. This formation is
unsorted.

Location Eleven

This is boundary between igneous intrusion (Dolorite) and shale. The

dolorite here is called dolorite sill because it intruded in the direction of the
formation shale. It is dark coloured rock with minerals like plagioclase,
olivine, feldspar and pyroxenes. It's density is 3.6g/cc. Positive gravity
reading can be read here which means high density rock. The igneous rock
has intruded the shale and metamorphosed shale to slate ( contact
metamorphism). The shale came in contact with hot magma. The direction
of the dip is SE direction. The dolorite is very hard but has been faulted in a
dip-slip fault type, that is, displacement in the direction of the dip. The
Dolorite sill is older than the fault. It was in place before the fault occurred.
Alot of iron and plagioclase is in the soil adjacent to the outcrop. The soil is
fertile because of the minerals present and can aid plant growth. The
Dolorite is about 1.5m. Because of the hard nature of dolorite it is used for
road construction. Water around this location is hard because of the
Sulphate content in it.
Location Twelve ( Amasiri Fault Trace)

Some of the dolorite has been displaced. The displacement is a dip-slip

fault at an angle of 160° (Dip direction). The internal displacement of the
dolorite is very large. Slicking slides is noticed, it is due to quartz
recrystallization. Slicking slides is the polished surface where the faulting
occurred. There is quartz recrystallization in the direction of faulting. The
fault trace intersected with Amasiri sandstone aquifer, making underground
water avaliable on the surface. The latitude is 5°54.28' N while the
longitude is 7°53.746' E. The elevation is 182ft. The dip direction is 160°
and the dip amount is 45°.

Location thirteen (Ndibe beach)

The name of the river is cross river and it is flowing directly on the Nkporo
formation which is overlaying the Ezeaku formation, but there is a gap as
result of an Unconformity. The colour of the river is affected by rainy
season, economic activities like quarrying and sediments giving a muddy or
dirty colour. The direction of the current is SW. Dredging increases the
depth and current flow but reduced the width of the river basin. There are
numerous sites around the Ndibe beach which has polluted the water,
making it unsuitable for drinking.

Geochemistry and Economic Geology of Afikpo Basin.

The geologic activities in the southern BenueTrough led to the

mineralization of industrial minerals in the Southern Benue Trough. The
Cretaceous stratigraphy of Southern Benue Trough comprise of sediments
deposited in three main marine depositional cycles, Albian to Cenomanian,
Turonian to Santonian, and Campano to Maastritchtian. The oldest dated
sediments exposed in Nigeria are the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Asu River
Group, and parts of the sediments in the Benue Trough were folded,
intruded, mineralized while some were metamorphosed. The oldest
sediment in the Trough was intruded by basaltic to intermediate rocks. The
magmatic rocks of the Southern Benue Trough contain some industrial
minerals (feldspar, quartz, mica, olivine, and hematite). These minerals are
embodiment of the magma because magma are characterized by their
constituent minerals/elements [7]. The mineral compositions of the
magmatic rocks range from mafic to felsic . The magmatic rocks of the
study area can serve as excellent aggregates for construction of buildings,
bridges and highways. In the southern Benue Trough, industrial minerals
are mostly magmatic and sedimentary origin. The industrial minerals of the
study area can be used as filters, abrasives and refractories. Nigeria has
about forty –four known major mineral deposits and half of this number is
found in Southern Benue Trough.

Pebbles and Sands: At Afikpo area much pebbles are exposed on the
landscapes, the pebbles appear as inland pebbles. It could be that the
study area was an inland covered by ancient seas but when the seas
regresses, the pebbles became landlocked. Most concretes in
constructions, decorative stones and roofing slates are made with sands
and pebbles. Pebbles are also used to design walkways or drive ways. The
pebbles colours range from white to brown.
Sandstones: The sandstones of the southern Benue Trough range from
ferruginous sandstones, carbonaceous to calcareous sandstones. The
ferruginous sandstones are rich in iron and in some part of Afikpo basin;
they contain some pebbles (Plate G). Calcareous sandstones are rich in
calcium carbonate while the carbonaceous sandstones have much of
carbon. The Sand/or sandstones and pebbles of the Southern Benue
Trough are rich in quartz. Quartz is the most abundant mineral in the earth.
It is used in glass making, silica bricks, paint and soap scouring, jewelry
and porcelain making. Quartz is also used in construction industries.

Clays (kaoline): Clays are products of weathering or hydrothermal

alteration of rocks containing alumino silicate minerals. Kaolinitic clay is
white to reddish brown in colour. Clays are used in ceramics and plastic
industries, paint, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Kaolinitic
clays are used in making tiles. Clays have been found useful in iron and
steel industries and also serve as filters for impurities.

Feldspar: feldspar is the next abundant mineral in the earth after quartz or
silica. Most feldspar originates from magma fractionation. The alkaline and
alumina content of feldspar is very useful for the industry. Feldspar is used
as a constituent in making ceramics, pottery and tiles. It is also used as
insulator in electrical industries. Feldspar is used in paint, plastic and
rubber industries. Feldspar is used in metallurgical industries due to its
resistance to chemical corrosion.

Mica: Mica is a phyllosilicate rock forming mineral. It is mostly associated

with magma and hydrous in nature with sheet like structure. Muscovite
(potassium mica), biotite (magnesium–ion mica), phylogopite (magnesium
mica) are mostly of very high economic values. The rocks of the study area
are made up of biotite and muscovite. Mica is used by electrical industries
and can serve as an insulator to electrical appliances. Mica is used in paint
industries. Due to the luster nature of mica, it is used in cosmetics industry.

Hematite: hematite is an ore of iron. Iron ore is a raw material in the

production of iron. It is used in steel and automobiles industries. Iron ores
are also used in construction industries. Hematite is used in paint
industries.

Olivine: Olivine is a very high temperature mineral that are seen in basaltic
magma. It is the first mineral to fractionate out during the evolutionary stage
of magma. Olivine can be magnesium rich (forsterite) or iron rich (fayalite),
(Mg2+, Fe2+) 2Sio4. It is a rock forming mineral. Olivine is used as a
refractory material, used to make refractory bricks and also used as casting
material. Olivine is as well used in metallurgical industries. Olivine can be
used in petrochemical industries. Olivine has been discovered as one of
the minerals that can act as a catalyst in converting organic matter to
hydrocarbon.

Dolerite: is the medium-grained equivalent of gabbro. The crystals are

slightly smaller than gabbro, indicating that the magma cooled more
quickly. It usually occurs as small intrusions called ‘dykes’ or ‘sills’ which
are sheet-like and cut through the surrounding rocks. Like gabbro, dolerite
forms from magma that is rich in iron and magnesium, and poor in silica
(quartz). They are used mainly for constructions.
 HYDROGEOLOGY

Surfacewater:Thespringsandriverchannelsarethemajorsurfacewatersinthes
tudyarea.Thespringsoccurwhenwaterflowsfromrockuntothelandsurfacenatur
ally,anddischargeswherethewatertableintersectsthelandsurface.Italsoflowst
hroughfracturedrocksinthearea.Theriversaremostlyusedfordomesticuse,like
bathing,washinganddrinkingetc.

Subsurface/
Groundwater:Asaresultofalternationofshaleandsandstonebeds,thefieldarea
isaverygoodaquiferforthestorageofwaterforcommercialeconomicuse.

Groundwaterpollution:Duetothelackofbigindustriesinthestudyarea,itisfreef
romindustrialwastepollution.Thusthemajorsourceofpollutionisthroughhuman
activities.Also,theopendumpingmethodofdisposalofwasteintheareaconstitut
esasourceofpollutiontotheaquifers.

GEOLOGIC HISTORY:
Our mapping area involved the Amasiri sandstone, the Afikpo sandstone
and the Ezeaku shale. From the oldest to the youngest, we have;
From our starting point, we encounter the Amasiri sandstone, an
outcrop.standing tall on latitude 5°53'56'' N and longitude 7°55'22''E. The
Amasiri outcrop was literally extensive, having an elevation of 75m from top
to bottom, down to a stream culvert.
The outcrop deposited by a high energy current, it was highly consolidated,
and having a colour variation of whitish to yellowish. Grain size was pebbly
and the outcrop was exposed due to tectonism. The Amasiri outcrop was a
bedding plane trending NE SW. The outcrop has a thickness of 153m. The
area is highly jointed having the presence of ripple marks in the direction of
the dip.
From the Amasiri sandstone, we saw Ezeaku shale, still on the Ezeaku
formation. This was highly ferrogenised and exposed by stream movement.
There were presence of laminars and slight cross beds. Outcrop has an
elevation of 80m to 85m.
Moving upwards, was the Afikpo sandstone of the Nkporo Group. This
lithologic unit was laterally extensive throughout the remaining extent of our
map, through some parts of the government secondary school to Ezeoti
town Hall, which had an elevation of 100m with the presence of angular
breccais, showing that the Lithology was exposed by erosion activities and
has travelled a long distance. The Afikpo sandstone top Lithology was
ferrogenised.
New Roads, pathways, settlements and farm lands have also delineated as
represented on our geologic, Topographic, lithosection maps.

FINDINGS
The Amasiri sandstone was jointed, had ripple marks and was exposed by
tectonism.
The overlying Ezeaku shale was trending NE SW, with a dip amount of 28°.
The Afikpo sandstone was exposed by erosion.
From the geologic lithosectional maps, government secondary school
stands on shale (Ezeaku shale of the Ezeaku formation ).
We can say that this shale was strongly grouted or total excavated before
siting and construction of the school.

CHALLENGES
Hilly or steep mapping environment, made it close to impossible to site
complete successions of lithologies in our formation.
Grouping boundaries contributed to no 1.
New settlement and farmland development limited outcrop exposure.

RECOMMENDATION
Extensive mapping should be further carried out by experienced
professionals using advanced technical equipments like drones etc.
Outcrops area / environments should be preserved for future exploration,
work and inferences/references.