Abstract
The current study deals with an estimate of the Curie point depth, heat flow and geothermal gradient from spectral analysis of aeromagnetic data covering an area located approximately between latitude 7.5o N to 11.5o N and longitude 7.5o E to 10.5o E, which corresponds to parts of the Benue trough (lower part of the Upper Benue trough, the entire middle Benue trough, and upper part of the Lower Benue trough), lower part of the Gongola and Yola Basins, the Precambrian Basement, the Jurassic Younger Granites and two prominent hot Springs, Wiki hot spring in Bauchi state (in the north-eastern part) and Akiri hot spring in Nasarawa state (in the south-western part) of central and north-eastern Nigeria. Radially power spectrum was applied to the aeromagnetic data of the study area divided into 48 square blocks and each block analysed using the spectral centroid method to obtain depth to the top, centroid and bottom of magnetic sources. The depth values were subsequently used to evaluate the Curie-point depth (CPD), geothermal gradient and near-surface heat flow in the study area. The values of the curie point depths (Zb), range from 7.6341 km to 34.5158 km, with a mean value of 14.7928km, geothermal gradient, range from 16.8039 0C km-1 to 75.97490C km-1, with mean value of 45.7021 0C km-1 and heat flow (q), range from 42.0097 mWm-2 to 189.9372mWm-2, with a mean value of 114.2554mWm-2. Which reveals that, there might probably be good sources for geothermal and thereby further recommended for detailed geothermal exploration.
Highlights
Nigeria is currently facing incessant problem of epileptic power supply, which has affected her Productivity, her inability as a Nation to compete socially, politically, economical, and technologically with other nations of the world
Power spectrum was applied to the aeromagnetic data of the study area divided into 48 square blocks and each block analysed using the spectral centroid method to obtain depth to the top, centroid and bottom of magnetic sources
MATERIALS AND METHODS The high resolution aeromagnetic dataset, which consist of sheet 102 - 107, 124 - 129, 145 - 150, 166 - 171, 187 -192, 208 - 213, 229 – 234 and 249 – 254 utilized for this study was obtained as controlled maps of total magnetic intensity on a scale of 1:100000 compiled by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency as a part of the nation-wide aeromagnetic survey between 2005 and 2010
Summary
Nigeria is currently facing incessant problem of epileptic power supply, which has affected her Productivity, her inability as a Nation to compete socially, politically, economical, and technologically with other nations of the world. In the light of the above, the Nigeria nation has a lot to benefit from exploring its geothermal potential for the production of electricity in the country This is the main aim of this study. The estimated values were used to compute the curie point depth, the heat flow and thermal gradient of the area.The study area is bounded by latitudes 7.50’N to 11.50’N and longitudes 7.50’E to 10.50’E located within the central and northeast Nigeria (Fig., Fig. and Fig.3 & Fig.4) It is approximately 145,200 km and was covered by 48 aeromagnetic maps (Chinwuko et al, 2013; Tildy, 2015; Alexander, 2017). The study area is made up of the cretaceous Benue trough, Precambrian basement Complex, Sedimentary Basins (Gongola and Yola Basins), Jurassic younger Granites, and tertiary – recent sediments of the central and north-eastern Nigeria (Fig. and Fig.). The geology of the study area is made up of the cretaceous Benue trough, Precambrian basement Complex, Sedimentary Basins (Gongola and Yola Basins), Jurassic younger Granites, and tertiary – recent sediments of the central and north-eastern Nigeria
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