Abstract
Abstract. The Upper Benue Trough is part of the Benue Trough of Nigeria and is comprised of three basins: the east–west trending Yola Basin (Yola Arm), the north–south trending Gongola Basin (Gongola Arm) and the northeast–southwest trending Lau Basin (Main Arm). This research is an ongoing research at understanding the structural framework of the Upper Benue Trough using several techniques including the use of Remote Sensing and GIS. Several digital image enhancement techniques such as general contrast stretching and edge enhancement were applied to the NigeriaSat-X and SPOT 5 image in ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 after which structures were mapped out on-screen using ArcMap 10. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the Trough was also used to enhance geomorphic features. The analysis carried out on the images revealed that lineaments are abundant in the Upper Benue Trough and they can be subdivided into four major trends, NE–SW, NW–SE, W–E and N–S in order of abundance and range in length from about 300 m to 26 km. Several faults were also mapped out within the Basin such as a sinistral fault around Bakoreji village in Bauchi, a dextral fault close to Kalmai town in Gombe and a dextral fault close to Wong in Taraba. It was discovered that some of the sites where minerals such as lead and zinc ores are being mined occur in the zones of high lineament density. This study shows the capability of the DEM, SPOT 5 and NigeriaSat-X images for lineament/structural interpretations.
Highlights
INTRODUCTION The Upper BenueTrough (Fig 1) is part of the Benue Trough of Nigeria and is comprised of three basins: the east–west trending Yola Basin (Yola Arm), the north– south trending Gongola Basin (Gongola Arm) and the northeast– southwest trending Lau Basin (Main Arm)
The lineaments extracted from the satellite images and Digital Elevation Model were observed to range between 300 meters and 26 km with major trends in northwest-southeast, northeastsouthwest and north-south as well as very few east-west trends
Part of this research involved some field work/ground-truthing to confirm some of the observed lineaments and it was discovered that some of the sites where minerals such as lead and zinc ores are being mined occur in the zones of high lineament density as observed in Dagari, a settlement in Bauchi and borders Taraba where zinc ore is being mined in commercial quantities
Summary
INTRODUCTION The Upper BenueTrough (Fig 1) is part of the Benue Trough of Nigeria and is comprised of three basins: the east–west trending Yola Basin (Yola Arm), the north– south trending Gongola Basin (Gongola Arm) and the northeast– southwest trending Lau Basin (Main Arm). Thick marine Turonian shales with limestones at their base overlie the transitional deltaic-to-marine Yolde Formation in many localities. These shales, called the Pindiga Formation in the Upper Benue Trough, are found in the south to be laterally equivalent to the Jessu Formation, consisting of interbeds of shales, sandstones and limestones, the gypsiferous Numanha Formation and the Sukuliye Formation (shales and limestones). The type localities of the Sukuliye and Numanha Formations occur at Sukuliye and Lamja Kasa, respectively (Carter et al, 1963) These two units succeed the Jessu Formation
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