Geological Interpretation of Radiometric Survey Maps of Pasam - Bali Hills and Environs, Upper Benue Trough, Northeastern Nigeria.

Structural and radiometric surveys of Bali, Pasam areas and environs of the Upper Benue Trough of northeastern Nigeria were aimed at providing detailed information on the structures and detection of radioactive anomalies of the area. To achieve these, a detailed structural/geological and radiometric mapping were conducted. Different structures were found including tectonic (faults and joints) and non-tectonic (beds and rain marks). The area is composed of the calcareous Bima sandstone (which is the oldest in the area) and Quaternary to Recent alluvium. Petrographic analysis was done on Bima sandstone representative samples from the study area. The major minerals observed under both plane polars and crossnicols include quartz, orthoclase and iron. A total of 120 Gamma Scout readings (in count per minute) were taken from the survey area using the Gamma Scout, an instrument that detects radioactive anomaly. GPS coordinates of each gamma count were also recorded. Gamma scout readings were contoured using surfer 11 software to produce Iso-rad map of the study area both in 2D and 3D view. The Iso-rad maps show areas of high, medium and low radioactive anomaly. Areas of high radioactivity are generally coincident with outcrops of Bima (feldspathic) sandstone, whereas the low radioactive anomaly is due to thick soil accumulation in the area.

Bali and Pasam, Radioactive Anomalies, Bima Sandstone, Gamma count

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