Paleoenvironment of Deposition and Maturity of Coastal Plain Sand in Okomu, Benin Formation, Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria

Authors

  • Martins Ilevbare Department of Geology, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0293-5398
  • Mimidoo Anita Vangerwua Department of Geology, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
  • Yusuf Olawale Agbaje Department of Geology, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7965-0404
  • Odunayo Timothy Ore Department of Chemical Sciences, Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria
  • Olabode Olusola Olutomilola Department of Geology, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Continental origin, Niger Delta Basin, Maturity, Coastal Sands, Ancient Environment

Abstract

The ancient environment and maturity of the coastal plain sands, Benin formation in the Niger Delta basin were evaluated using petrographic studies and grain size characteristics. The heavy minerals were both opaque and non-opaque minerals. The graphic mean (average 1.45) revealed that medium to coarse sand size sediments predominate which are moderately too well sorted (average 0.886), typical of Continental paleo-environment. The graphic skewedness (average 0.076) typifies a period of balance between erosion and deposition of the sediments with most of the sediments being substantially coarsely skewed and a small amount of strongly finely skewed sediments. The graphic kurtosis (1.12) is consistent with platykurtic to leptokurtic sand grains, characteristic of a medium to high energy fluvial depositional environment. The Sediments were compositionally mature (Qtz >90%), mineralogical super-mature (Mineralogical Maturity index, MMI average = 22.49) and chemically immature to sub-mature (Zircon Tourmaline Rutile Index (ZTR) = 71.90). The ancient environment of the deposition from the average of the sorting value is typical of a continental origin (river or fluvial sediments). This finding is authenticated by the environmental discrimination plots which also confirm a continental ancient environment of deposition for the coastal plain sands.

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Published

2025-04-30

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Martins Ilevbare, Mimidoo A. Vangerwua , Yusuf O. Agbaje, Odunayo T. Ore , Olabode O. Olutomilola

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