Abstract
Nlonako area belongs to Cameroon Volcanic Line. To determine the mineralization potentials of the area, stream sediment survey and geochemistry were carried out. The results show weak anomalies in Gold and Silver with threshold values of 0.001 and 0.073 respectively. Copper, Lead and Zinc have some relatively high values which are 690ppm, 182ppm and 378ppm with mean values statistically calculated to be 73.90, 46.51 and 198.58 respectively. The data analyzed using multivariate statistical methods yielded 5 factors from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). These five factors are; Factor 1 (Ce, La, Nb, Y), Factor 2 (W, Mo, Sr, As, Cd, Ni), Factor 3 (Pb, Sn, Zn, Sb), Factor 4 (Au, Ag, Cu) and Factor 5 (Cr, Co, Bi). These factors point mostly to a possible sulphide mineralization. Gold shows high correlation with Ag and Cu while Y correlates more highly and positively with Ce and La. There is a relatively high input of the light rare-earth elements which form the highest factor (34.363%) of the total PCA variance and possibly points to a granitic source rock. The existence of mafic–ultramafic igneous rocks in the study area underlies high correlations between Cr and Co and other factors gotten from PCA.
Highlights
Sampling and analysis of stream sediments is a well-known method of mineral exploration especially at the reconnaissance and detailed scales in many areas (e.g. Ottesen & Theobald 1994)
2) The element associations defined by multivariate statistics between Au, Cu and Ag suggests that the sulphides of Ag and Cu depositions and gold mineralization are contemporaneous, rocks with these sulphides are the most prospective during litho geochemical surveys in the region
3) Since there are visible sulphide mineralizations in the field hosted by granites and factor 1 of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) points to that effect, it can be thought that most of the indications of the sulfide mineralization can be sought in the granites in this region
Summary
Sampling and analysis of stream sediments is a well-known method of mineral exploration especially at the reconnaissance and detailed scales in many areas (e.g. Ottesen & Theobald 1994). When geochemical data of stream sediments are spatially displayed as well as statistically treated using appropriate procedures, they can unravel element associations that are relevant to primary exploration in a region (Atsuyuki et al, 2005). These associations can be useful in deciphering the source region lithology and the nature of the primary mineralization, Some examples include Embui et al, (2013), Soh et al, (2014), Mumbfu et al, (2014) and Omang et al, (2014) These works have investigated the concentrations of gold and associated elements in stream sediment in some areas of Cameroon with some giving clues on future exploration guides The areas have had a history of at least some legal artisanal mining and somehow explored
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