International Journal Geology and Mining IJGM

Vol. 2(2), pp. 064-070, May, 2017. www.premierpublishers.org. ISSN: 0907-3409x

Research Article

Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local

Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
Madu Anthony Joseph Chinenyeze1* and Bridget N. Ozibo2
1
* Department of Geology, College of Physical and Applied Sciences, Michael Okpara University Umudike, Abia State,
Nigeria.
2
Department of Geology/Geophysics/Physics, Federal University, Ndufu-Alike-Ikwo FUNAI, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

The study area lies within the middle Benue trough consisting of a sedimentary terrain, and
igneous rocks at the northern part. The area has three drainage basins separated by a water
divide that trends nearly north-south. The sedimentary terrain comprises mainly sandstone of
Makurdi Sandstone with common fold axes trending Southwest-Northeast. It has grain size
distribution and stratigraphic signatures suggestive of fluvial environment. The limestone unit is
of a smaller area and circumscribed by the sandstone. Fossils identified in the limestone
include mostly pelecypods, gastropods and ammoids. The limestone unit is a probable member
of Eze-Aku shale. Evidence of igneous activity in the study area is the emplacement of extrusive
and intrusive rocks. The extensive rock is porphyritic basalt, with olivine phenocrysts, augite
and analcite. The mineral assemblage suggests that the basalt is of alkaline affinity. The
intrusive rocks are dolerite and felsic dolerite, with predominance of lime-bearing plagioclase
over all other minerals in the felsic dolerite.

Key words: Sediments, sandstone, limestone, igneous activity, sedimentary structures.

INTRODUCTION

The study area lies within the Benue valley of Nigeria. It
is located between latitudes 7 030N and 7054N and
longitudes 8048E and 9000E. The area occupies the
southeastern portion of Makurdi Sheet 251 and scale
1:100, 000.
The major road which runs through parts of the area is
the Makurdi-Gboko road. Other access roads include:
Abinsi-Kuatansule road and Makurdi-Gbajimba road.
There are also numerous footpaths that link different
parts of the area. Figure 1 shows the location of the study
area in the Nigerian map.
hills occurring in the area to form a nearly undulating
topography.
Most parts of the low-lying areas fall below 500ft above
sea level. They are densely dissected by streams, which
flow into River Katsina-Ala in the southeastern portion of
the mapped area, while on the southwestern section, the
streams flow into river Mu another tributary of River
Benue which lies outside the mapped area.

Topography and Drainage *Corresponding author: Madu Anthony Joseph

Chinenyeze, Department of Geology, College of Physical
The area comprises low-lands of about 300ft above sea and Applied Sciences, Michael Okpara University
level, near the banks of River Benue and its main Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. Email:
tributary-River Katsina-Ala. There are some scattered ajchinenyezem07@yahoo.com

Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
Then sub tributaries flow from an elevated plain of about
600ft above sea level, which serves as the main water
divide of the area. The mapped area has three drainage
basins which are separated by water divide. It is along
part of the axis of the water divide that the Makurdi-
Gboko road was constructed.
Prominent hills in the area, north of Gbajimba, are
products of igneous activity. The hills range mostly
beyond 500ft above sea level and are commonly covered
by extrusive igneous rocks. There are also hills which are
covered by laterites in the eastern portion of the mapped
area.
Geologic Setting
The area is within the southwestern margin of the middle
Benue valley. It is included in the Benue trough in which
a thick pile of marine and fluvio-deltaic sediments was
deposited during the lower Cretaceous. The deposition
commenced in the Albian with the emplacement of the
Asu River Group of marine sediments. Sediments within
the trough became folded in the Santonian, with the fold
axes mostly trending northeast-southwest. The
sediments were faulted and eroded. The erosion activity
continued until the igneous activities began in the post-
Santonian times (Offodile, 1976).
Probably the igneous activities of this time gave rise to
the extrusive and intrusive rocks in the mapped area. The
intrusive rocks of the area consist of a dolerite stock and
a plug of felsic area. The volcanic rock (porphyritic basalt)
extruded over the host sandstone rock.
Some work has been done in this area though on a
regional scope. Farrington (1952) outlined an Albian to
Maestrichtian stratigraphic sequence for the middle
Benue valley. He noted the occurrence of alkaline and
non-alkaline igneous rocks in the Benue valley.
The area is contained in part of the geological map of
Nigeria, Sheet 64, on scale 1:250.000, which was
published by the shell.
Cratchley and Jones (1965) carried out a geophysical
survey of the Benue valley and discovered that the trough
has an axial positive Bouguer anomaly, being flanked on
both sides by elongate negative anomalies. This is in line
with the proposed origin of Benue trough from rifted
depression. However, Wright (1976) noted that no
geological evidence has indicated rift faulting in most
parts of the Benue valley margins.
Offodile (1976) outlined the lithologic sequence of
Cretaceous age occurring in the south-middle Benue
valley. He noted that the Keana formation is a lateral
equivalent of the Makurdi formation in southern part, and
also equivalent to the Muri sandstone in the northern
part. He however, remarked that the lithologic units are
progressively younger in age from the NE to SW.
Kogbe et al, (1978) grouped the Makurdi sandstone into
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
Micaceous and feldspathic types, and also noted the
folding of the sediments with SW-NE fold axes.
Nwajide C.S. in a conference held by the Nigerian
Society of Geosciences in 1981 evaluated the
stratigraphic sequence of the Makurdi Sandstone, using
Markov chain analysis, which yielded series of fining
upward motifs. He suggested that the Makurdi sandstone
is of fluvial environment.
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
The aim of the mapping was to produce a detailed
geology of the area. The provenance and paleo-
environment of deposition of the sedimentary rocks, and
delineate the occurring igneous rocks in the area.
METHODOLOGY
Ground investigation was conducted to map the detailed
geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local
Government areas. Field work was done at 2 different
seasons, and the last of which was a detailed land
trekking Geological mapping. The bushes, streams, and
physiographic hills and features surveyed for two weeks,
and fresh sedimentary and igneous rock samples were
collected for analyses.. Thin sections, microscope
studies, and other laboratory analyses were carried out
in the Department of Geology laboratory. From the
determined chemical composition of the rocks, and
minerals, various rock types were confirmed/established.
FINDINGS AND ANALYSES
Lithologic Distribution and Stratigraphic
Relationships
The sedimentary rocks of the mapped area consist of
sandstone and unbedded limestone. The sandstone rock
out crops in many parts of the mapped area, including
banks of some stream channels in Mbako, where they
display numerous ripple marks. Road-cut exposures
showed cross- bedding of the sandstone-siltstone-shale
near Ortese area. The sandstone is exposed as flaggy
and horizontally bedded fine grained sandstone with
siltstone intercalations in Wannune area.
The unbedded limestone is exposed at Agasha, Ihon and
parts of Mbako-northeast areas. It covers a lens-shaped
2
area of about 23km (figure 3). The limestone rock type is
highly fossiliferous, in contrast to the sandstone unit- that
circumscribes it.
The sandstone of the mapped area belongs to the
Makurdi formation, while the unbedded limestone rock
type containing numerous marine fossils is a probable
member of the Eze-Aku Shale. The stratigraphic
relationship of the two sedimentary rock types of different
formations is shown on table 1.
 Figure 1. Showing location of the study area, covering Makurdi and Gboko Local Government
Areas.
Table 1. Modal Analysis of Sandstone Sample MA/81/231
MINERAL CONSTITUENTS
QUARTZ
FELDSPAR
CALCITE-CEMENT
MICA (Biotite
(Muscovite
MAGNETITE
ZIRCON
STAUROLITE
Sandstone Unit
The sandstone is mostly grey colored and varies in
textures from fine to medium grained. They are cross-
bedded and rippled in most locations. Sandstones that
outcrop along stream banks in Mbako, Uuma and near
Kugwa areas are medium grained and show numerous
ripple marks. Some of the outcrops have been weathered
and fresh samples commonly contain copious flakes of
micas, and are less indurated. Some fine-grained
massive sandstone occur at the bank of a sub tributary of
River Kastina-Ala, in southern Wanzum Amagwa. The
rock is a pink colored highly indurated sandstone
possessing discrete dark-brown colored weathered
surface that are mostly less than 3.0cm long.
In Wannune district, road-cut exposures display flaggy
horizontally bedded fine grained sandstone which has
thin intercalations with siltstone. At location MA/81/201 in
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
%
75
6
12
3
2
2
Wannune, there is an exposure of fine grained
sediments, comprising fine-grained sandstone and
mottled siltstone, which is overlain by boulders of late
rites. The fine-grained sandstone portions in the mapped
area are characterized by intense late rites and
laterization. This is evident on the weathering of the fine-
sediments, and also on the development of big late rite-
roof which overlies a floor of fine sandstone at Abulu
stream.
Road-cut exposure in Ortese area shows sequences of
medium grained sandstone overlain by grey colored
siltstone, followed by a thin layer of fissile shale,
displaying a fining upwards sequence. The fissile shale
has been weathered and contains some calcareous
nodules. These nodules are mostly rounded in shape
with diameters ranging from about 2cm to 6cm. they are
principally composed of calcites and may be termed
caliche.
 Figure 2. Showing Grain size Distribution of the Sandstone in the area.

A road-cut in south of Wannune exposes sequences of
sandstone and siltstone. The siltstone layer is commonly
mottled with shale at the top.
The sandstone layers are brown to grey colored, and
range from medium grained at the base to finer grained
overlying sandstone layers. The sediments at this
location MA/81/214 are locally jointed with the joint-
zone of about 5cm wide being filled with siltstone. The
trend of the joints includes 61 azimuths and 76 azimuths.
PETROGRAPHY
The model analysis of the sandstone is given in table 1,
and the petrographic data in table 2. The principal
mineral constituent of the rock is quartz. Feldspar is
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
present in the sandstone though not in high amount. Few
mica flakes, iron oxide, zircon, and staurolitc are also
present.
The sandstone is texturally fine grained, comprising of
detrital minerals that range from sub angular to sub
rounded, elongate to equant shapes. The grain size
ranges from 0.10mm to about 0.20mm, though some
polycrystalline quartz grains and eldspar blados have
diameters ranging 0.2cm to 0.3cm. The sandstone is
texturally immature.
The quartz grains are mostly monocrystalline and
commonly have sutured outlines. The grain-to-grain
relationship varies from line-contact to sutured concave-
convex contact. The monocrystalline grains are nearly
uniform in size while the polycrystalline grains show
variation in their intra-grain geometry. The quartz grains
 Table 2. Modal Analysis of the Limestone Sample MA/81/201
CONTITUENTS
Skeletal fragments
Spar (Calcite)
Micrite
Pellets
Glauconite
Quartz
commonly display undulose extinction, though more
clearly observed in the elongate and angular grains.
About 75% of the sandstone is composed of quartz.
The feldspars in the rock occur as subangular grains.
Most of the feldspars are twinned dominantly displaying
multiple twinning. They yield an average plagioclase
composition of An40. Some grains and fragments of the
feldspar to have been altered and are observed as cloudy
and stippled grains.
The feldspars and some of the quartz grains are
separated from component grains by calcite cement
which is the void materials of the sandstone. There are
some elongate flakes of muscovite (mica) which have
been mostly bent and sandwitched by sutured and
angular grains of quartz. The heavy minerals such as
magnetite occur as tables of opaque mineral constituents
which float on the calcite cement. The zircon and
staurolite detrital grains occur in various shalpes and are
marked by high relief.
Using pettijohns (1975) classification of sandstone on the
basis of the amount of the quartz, feldspar and rock
fragment in the rock. The amount of cement in the rock is
12%, thus less than 15%
Quartz = 75
Feldspar = 7
Rock fragments = -
82
The amount of quartz and feldspar are corrected to 100%
to give 91% and 8.45% respectively. These corrected
amounts of auarts and feldspar contained in the
sandstone classify it as a subarkose.
Grain Size Analysis
Reports of the sieve analysis of two samples of the
sandstone unit were satisfactory.. Data available in the
above tables were used in calculating the statistical
parameters , using the inclusive graphic measures of folk
and word (1957). The result of the analysis show that the
sandstone is medium grained, with average grain size of
about 0.25mm to 0.35mm. It is moderately well sorted,
negatively skewed and mesokurtic. The negative
skewness implies that more grains of the sandstone are
slightly coarser than the average grain-size. The kurtosis
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
%
45.0
31.0
10.0
8.5
5.0
0.5
(mesokurtic) indicates a cluster of more moderately
sorted medium-sized grains between the finer and coarse
grains.
The histogram plots obtained from the analysis from the
examples are shown in figure 2. They show bimodal
distribution of the grain sizes.
Limestone Unit
This unit consists of discrete tabular boulders of dark-
grey fossiliferous limestone rock. It outcrops in Agasha,
iron and parts of Mbako areas. In Agasha district and
areas southwest of Ihon School, the rock is exposed
extensively as tabular boulders of limestone. The large
tabular boulders have average dimensions of about 1.2m
(length) 0.55m (width) 0.17m (thick) . They contain
numerous fossil fragments, pelecypod shells and
gastropods. Some of the limestone samples contain large
crystals of calcite that form the shape of fossil shells in
their cavities.
Limestone in Mbako areas, (about 3.0km northeast of
Uchi Mbako school), is composed of smaller boulders of
irregular morphology which inundates the surface of
surrounding hills. There occurs a more or less gradational
lithologic boundary between the unstratified limestone
outcrops and the surrounding sandstone.
The locations in which the limestone occur in Agasha and
Mbako areas are characterized by closeness of deposits
of pebbles and pebbly sands with diameters ranging from
0.2cm to about 4.5cm.
The discontinuous nature of the tabular limestone
boulders leads to inconsistency in their dip magnitudes,
o o
hence, the wide variation from about 14 to 34 . the dip
azimuths are more uniform, ranging from 37 to 65
(probably dipping in the NE-direction).
Some of the tabular boulders contain very hard fossil
shells associated with small pot-holes of about 2cm in
diameter, and pseudo-ripple marks at the surface. In
hand specimen, the fossils are mainly internal and
external molds and impressions.
In thin section, the rock is composed of coarse biogenic
frame-work including skeletal fragments, pellets and
intraclasts, calcite crystals, micrites and glauconite. The
skeletal elements are wide-spread and mostly bound by
 Figure 3. Geological Map of Parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas of Benue State Nigeria.

very elongate plates of calcite (spar). The diameters of
clear calcites range from about 0.5mm to 1.30mm. The
skeletal fragments have an average diameter of about
0.75mm. They commonly form some kind of grid shaped
arrangement (figure 3) containing shell fragments and
small pellets of various shapes. The pellets have
diameters ranging from 0.15 to 0.20mm, while the
concentrically shaped bodies (oolites) are about 0.31 to
0.55mm.
The glauconitic grains are brownish red to greenish
coloured, and some contain small grey pellitic particles at
their core. Minute amount of clastic quartz is observed
as the colourless minerals in the thin section.
The rock is uneven-textured and contains a mosaic of
dark brown minute grains which cluster at the interstices
of the skeletal fragments as micrites, forming altered rims
at the boundaries of the fragments.
From the modal analysis, the skeletal fragments
constitute the principal constituent of the rock, and are
bound together by calcite cement (spar). The amount of
sparry calcite in the rock is greater than that of micrites.
Since the ratio of fossils to pellet bodies in the rock is by

Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
 Table 3. Modal analysis of dolerite

MINERAL MA/81/208 MA/81/209 MA/81/219

CONSTITUENTS
APLITIC STUFF B
A
PLAGIOCLASE 60 48 55 80 52

PYROXEME: 26 34 31 33
Augite 4 4
Hypersthene
Chlorite 4 5 8 10 5
(Alteration product)
IRON ORE 5 5 2 2 4
(Ilmenite)
QUARTZ 5 4 4 2

Table 4. Modal Analysis of Felsic Dolerite

MINERAL MA/81/224 MA/81/225

CONSTITUENTS

PLAGIOCLASE 75 80
PYROXEME (augite) 8 6
Alteration Product 3 2
(chlorite)

MUSCOVITE 2 2
IRON ORE (Ilmenite 4 5
(magnetite 2

QUARTZ 6 5
(INTERSTITIAL)

far greater than 3:1, then, the limestone is a bioeparradite
(using classification of limestone by Pettijohn, 1975).
The discrete (or unbedded) tabular boulders of the
limestone, the poor sorting, and the characteristic
ubiquity of skeletal elements occurring as both altered
hard parts and impressions, give the indication that the
limestone was formed in situ (or authochthonous).
The features of this limestone are analogous to the
biohermal facies of limestone described in Pettijohn
(1975). Curaings and Shrook (1928, in Pettijohn 1975)
defined bioherm as any domelike, mouldlike, lenslike or
otherwise circumscribed mass, built exclusively or mainly
by sedentary organisms, and enclosed in a normal rock
of different lithologic character. The limestone unit of the
mapped area is very fossiliferous, and completely
sandwiched by a different lithologic unit - sandstone.
This autochthonous limestone of the mapped area may
therefore be regarded as a biohermal facies of limestone
Provenance and Paleo environmental Analysis of the
Sedimentary Rock
In reconstructing the possible provenance for the
sandstone unit of the mapped area, cognisance has been
taken of the nature of quartz grains, feldspar content and
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
the heavy minerals present.
The quartz grains show seemingly deformed features
which are evident on the satured contact outlines of the
grains. They occur mostly as subangular to subrounded
monocrystalline grains. The polycrystalline quartz grains
show nucleation of angular grains that commonly display
undulose extinction.
The sandstone contains some feldspars which are mainly
plagioclase. Some of the feldspars have been altered.
And some have irregular and sutured contact with
neighbouring grains.
The micas present are markedly bent and elongate.
Accessory magnetite, zircon and staurolite are present
and occur in various shapes. The grain-to-grain
relationship of the constituent detrital minerals gives
evidence of textural immaturity.
The sphericity of the grains which is averagely elongate
to intermediate shape suggest a near source area, thus,
high sphericity could not be attained along a course of
relatively short distance transport.
The gross mineral assemblage of quartz, feldspars
(mostly plagioclase), micas, magnetite, and zircon
suggests granitic source areas (Pettijohn, 1975). These
may be the granites and granite-gneisses of the
 Table 5. Modal Analysis of Porphyritic Basalt
MINERAL CONSTITUENTS 80/1291
50
PLAGIOCLASE
(Laths and Phenocrysts)
PYROXENE (Crystals) 22
(augite and pigeonite)
OLIVINE (Phenocrysts) 10
GROUNDMASS Plagioclase
Pyroxene
Iron ore
Glass
IRON ORE (Crystals) 8 3
(Magnetite)
ANALCITE 6 7
(VESICLES or Voids) 4 5
basement rocks lying in the north or south of the region of
the mapped area.
The histogram plots of the sandstone samples yield
bimodality. This shows a slight variation in the modes of
the grain sizes. Bimodal distribution of grain sizes is a
likely indicator of more than a lone source of the
sediments (Pettijohn, 1975).
It is therefore probable that the source areas of the
sandstone unit comprise both the basement rocks in the
north of this region and the metamorphised rocks of the
Bamenda Massif in the south of this region,
Paleoenvironmental Analysis
The paleoenvironment of deposition of the sandstone unit
is considered with reference to stratigraphic signatures of
the exposed sections and the sedimentary structures.
The road-cut exposure of the sandstone shows sections
that are characterized by ordered sequence of
sandstone-siltstone-shale, followed by another cycle in
the same trend of variation in lithologic facies. This gives
rise to a repeated succession of sandstone-siltstone and
shale (mostly weathered). The weathered shale layer in
the sequence contains some dispersed calcareous
nodules, which appear to be related to the lateritic soils
on which they also occur. These calcareous nodules
(caliche) are associated with continental lithotypes,
primarily as the topmost member of typical fluvial (point-
bar) sequences (Pettijohn, 1975).
The sandstone layers display intense ripples that are
characterized by large troughs on which lies the siltstone
layer, thus producing ripple bedding. Some sections
show repeated alternation of sandstone and siltstone with
absence of the shale (top layer). The mostly
asymmetrical ripple marks may have been formed by
current actions generated by a meandering river of fluvial
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
80/1294 80/1295
10 15
5 10
14 18
30 15
15 56 20 39
5 3
6 2
13
2
3
environment as movements proceeded towards the
floodplain, (Reineck and Singh 1973).
The fining upward trend of the sandstone and its
commonly rippled nature are probable signatures of
fluvial (meandering river) environment.
The result of the histogram plots for the sandstone which
gave a bimodal distribution of grain size may suggest a
change in the mode of transportation of the sediments,
from a somewhat high energy inertia suspension, to a
viscous suspension mechanism (PettiJohn, 1975) This is
a characteristic of fluvial (meandering river) environment.
The fining upward motif of the exposed sections, and the
mostly assyraetrical ripple marks of the sandstone
(probably caused by current action) tend to suggest that
the sandstone unit of the mapped area is of a fluvial
(meandering river) environment.
The limestone unit appears to have a different
paleoenvironment of deposition from that of the
sandstone unit. This has been analyzed with reference
to the presence of glauconite, fossils and preservation of
their skeletal elements in the limestone.
The presence of glauconite suggests somewhat
diagenetic changes due to subaqueous weathering which
probably resulted in the replacement of feacal pellets by
glauconites. This diagenetic activity is commonly
favoured by slow sedimentation at shallow depths of
water in a marine environment. It is likely that the slow
nature of the sedimentation enhanced the preservation of
the ubiquitous fossil shells and other skeletal fragments
in the limestone.
The occurrence of some altered Turitella suggests that
the environment of deposition of the limestone was of
shallow, well-lighted marine waters on the continental
shelf. Some features of the mollusc shells including the
streamlining might have been obliterated by the wave
actions of the shallow marine (probably shelf)
environment. More also, the presence of subrounded
grains of greenish glauconite might be associated to
continual washing by wave action which also might be
responsible for the appearance of pseudo-ripples on the
surfaces of the tabular boulders of the limestone.
The formation of glauconite granules is mostly favoured
under slightly reducing conditions. It is probable that the
reducing conditions at the time resulted from the
abundant organic remains, which provided a less
oxidizing medium in a shallow marine environment
(PettiJohn, 1975). The slightly reducing environment
might have made the preservation of the copious fossil
fragments somewhat efficient. The predominance of
pelecypod shells is also an indication of shallow marine
environment under normal salinity (Shrock and
Twenhofel, 1953),
IGNEOUS ROCKS
Dolerite
This is the main intrusive rock of the mapped area. It
covers an area of about 2Km x 1km. This intrusive
rock caused the baking of adjoining host sandstone. The
highly baked portion (aureole) of the sandstone is jointed
and the trends of the joints are mainly in two directions;
46 azimuths and 318 azimuth. The dark coloured portion
of the aureole is characterized by spheroidal weathering.
The igneous rock is exposed at a distance of about half a
kilometer north of this baked portion.
The southwestern side of this intrusive rock exposes
some of the boulders that bear some 'aplitic stuff running
almost vertically within them. These lenticular aplitic-stuff
which are bounded by the main intermediate to dark
coloured medium grained intrusive, are lighter coloured
and fine-grains 1 in texture. This feature is observable in
hand specimen. Some weathered samples have
surfacial spots, brownish to rusty-red in colour. In thin
section, the rock is holocrystalline and medium grained;
as observed in samples MA/8 1/208, MA/81/209 and
MA/81/219.
The chief constituents of the rock are plagioclase and
pyroxene (augite). Some secondary minerals present in
the rock include chlorite and quartz. Iron ores are also
present. (Tables 3-5)
The plagioclase minerals present in the rock are mostly
subhedral crystal forms. Large rectangulates of
plagioclase, measuring about 0.35 to 0.50mm in size are
not scarce in the rock.
Most of the plagioclase crystals have been altered and
display intense sericitization. The twinnings displayed by
the crystals are more of carlsbad than the albite type.
And the extinction angles indicate a range of plagioclase
composition of An41 to An56 (mainly from calcic andesine
to laboradorite). Plagioclase minerals constitute about 45
to 65% of the rock.
Geology of parts of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue State, Nigeria
The pyroxenes present in the rock are principally the
clinopyroxenes (augite). They are mostly colourless to
grey crystals. Some irregular dialage partings across
euhedral crystals of the augite are common features
exhibited in the rock (MA/8 1/208). Some idiomorphic
forms of augite display good prismatic cleavage and
common lamellar twinning. Large plates of augite
measure up to 0.52mm as the longest diameter. Augite
forms about 26 to 34% of the rock.
Another type of pyroxene observed in the rock is
hypersthene; which has been influenced and is related to
the copious chloritization of the mafic minerals in the
rock. It occurs in very trace amount, about 4% of the
rock. The hypersthene crystals are idiomorphic and
characteristically display pleochroism from green to
brown colour.
Some of the pyroxene minerals have been altered into
secondary minerals - Chlorite. These alteration products
of pyroxene which constitute the secondary chlorites
occur as irregular strings and patches of greenish colour;
displaying significant greenish pleochroism.
They also occur as fibrous and scally materials. Some
fibrous uralitic minerals are also associated with the
chlorites.
CONCLUSION
The mapped area lies within the Benue trough of Nigeria.
The elevation of the area is moderately high with the
highest contour as 1000ft. The drainage pattern is
dendritic, and a major water divide runs in a nearly north-
south direction, separating the three drainage basins.
The sediments in the area comprises sandstone and
limestone units. The sandstone unit covers the greater
portion of the mapped area. It consists of medium
grained and fine grained sandstone, which constitute the
Makurdi Formation within the mapped area. Exposed
section of the Sandstone Unit shows a succession of
sandstone, siltstone and shale cycles. The shale layer at
the top contains some calcareous nodules. The exposed
sections depict a fining upward sequence. The grain size
distribution histograms and the stratigraphic signature of
the Sandstone Unit suggest that it was deposited in a
fluvial (meandering river) environment.
The Limestone Unit is highly fossiliferous. It covers a
relatively smaller area than the sandstone which
circumscribes it. Fossils identified in the limestone
include mostly pelecypods, gastropods and ammomoids.
The limestone is not bedded, but occurs as discontinuous
tabular boulders. The limestone unit is likely to have been
formed in situ. It is classified as a biosparrudite. It is a
probable biohermal facies of limestone. The fossil
assemblage and other mineral constituents suggest that
the environment of deposition was shallow marine
(probably shelf). The Limestone Unit is a likely member of
Eze-Aku Shale.
Evidence of igneous activity in the area is the
emplacement of extrusive and intrusive rocks. The
extrusive is a porphyritic basalt, which contains significant
amount of olivine phenocrysts. The mineral assemblage
suggests that the basalt is of alkaline affinity. The
intrusive rocks are dolerite and felsic dolerite. They have
almost an identical mineralogical assemblage, but for the
predominance of lime-bearing plagioclase overall other in
the area are likely of a basaltic magma origin.
There is evidence of the Santonian folding episode. It is
recognized as regional folds in the Sandstone Unit, with
fold axes trending Southwest-Northeast. Common
sedimentary structures are ripple marks and cross-
beddings. Groundwater potential in the area is of
importance.
The mapped area contains sediments which suffered
deformation and also encountered an igneous activity
that took place in this part of Benue trough of Nigeria
probably during the Cenozoic times.
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Accepted 05 May, 2017.
Citation: Madu AJC, Ozibo BN (2017). Geology of parts
of Gboko and Makurdi Local Government Areas, Benue
State, Nigeria. International Journal Geology and Mining
2(2): 064-070.
Copyright: 2017 Madu and Ozibo. This is an open-
access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
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