Evaluation of solid mineral potentials in north western parts of Nigeria using aero radiometric and geochemical data sets

The study area covers Zamfara and its surrounding regions. It lies between latitude 11°00'N and 13°00'N and longitude 5°00'E and 7°00'E. Geologically, the region consists of Migmatite Gneiss Complex (MGC), Schist Belts and a portion of the Sokoto Basin. It is considered to be one of the richest in mineral resources in Nigeria, comprising of lithium, gold, zinc, copper, and lead. However, some mineralisation and hydrothermal alteration zones identified in the area may lack economically viable ore due to low-grade or dispersed minerals. Consequently, the indiscriminate activities of artisanal mining resulted into a lot of abandoned pits and trenches which facilitate the environmental degradation and loss of farmlands. Petrographic analysis as proposed by some researchers also reveals ambiguous mineral structures; compared X-ray fluorescence (XRF) that provides clearer insights by identifying and quantifying their elemental composition of the minerals.Aero radio metric method was used for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones and concentration of radio element related to solid minerals through, radio element ratio maps, ternary map, F-parameter and K deviation. Geochemical analysis was used to validate the chemical constituents and percentage of minerals present using X-ray florescence (XRF). Hydrothermally altered zones were indicated by an anomalously high F parameter (0.328–0.723) and high K/eTh ratio of roughly (0.1153 to 0533). The radiometric ternary image reveals superior concentration of individual radioelement at their respective areas. On the other hand, X-ray florescence technique pointed out significant percentage concentrations of major oxides by weight, including CaO (18.29%), Al₂O₃ (31.13%), SiO (76.0) Fe₂O₃ (81.81%), SO₃ (0.18%), K₂O (25.29%), Mn₂O₃ (1.67%), P₂O₅ (0.91%), MgO (2.56%), Cr₂O₃ (1.28%), and CuO (0.04%) across multiple sampled locations. and other barred areas in some identified mineralisation zones. In conclusion, these findings highlight key mineralized trends and barren hydrothermal and mineralisation zones. The study underscores the potential of these techniques as reliable tools for structural mapping and detecting alteration zones, offering a robust framework for mineral exploration in similar terrains.