Sains Malaysiana 53(11)(2024): 3555-3571

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2024-5311-02

 

Integrating Petrography and Geochemistry Data for Provenance and Palaeotectonic Interpretation of a Sedimentary Deposit

(Mengintegrasikan Data Petrografi dan Geokimia untuk Tafsiran Asal dan Palaeotektonik bagi Deposit Sedimen)

 

Salufu Emmanuel Omoh, Habibah Jamil* & Norasiah Sulaiman

 

Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and          Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 

Received: 29 December 2023/Accepted: 3 October 2024

 

Abstract

Effective interpretation of provenance and tectonic settings that affected a sedimentary deposit was optimised using a geochemistry and mineralogical interdisciplinary approach. Geochemical data was integrated with petrographic data to interpret the provenance and tectonic history of some sedimentary samples selected from a sedimentary sequence exposed along Imiegba in southern Nigeria.  Sixteen samples were subjected to X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis to assess the essential oxide composition and eighteen were analysed for their rare earth element compositions. Ten sedimentary samples were prepared into thin sections for a mineralogical study under a petrographic microscope. The geochemical approach using the compositional plot of TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Na₂O and K₂O of the samples on a discriminant function shows a Felsic igneous source which is confirmed by the enrichment in the light rare earth elements concentration. It also indicates intermediate and Quartzose sedimentary provenance on a passive margin and oceanic island arc. The modal composition of quartz, feldspar and rock fragments plotted on a triangular diagram indicate metamorphic, plutonic and recycled orogen provenances, with a cratonic interior, and continent transitional and basement uplift activities. The study area thus contains sedimentary deposits derived from plutonic, metamorphic, and quartzose sedimentary provenance with imprints of divergent tectonic and convergent tectonic activities.

Keywords: Geochemistry; palaeotectonic; petrography; provenance; sedimentary

 

Abstrak

Tafsiran berkesan bagi tetapan asal dan tektonik yang menjejaskan mendapan sedimen telah dioptimumkan menggunakan pendekatan antara disiplin geokimia dan mineralogi. Data geokimia telah disepadukan dengan data petrografi untuk mentafsirkan sejarah asal dan tektonik beberapa sampel sedimen yang dipilih daripada jujukan sedimen yang terdedah di sepanjang Imiegba di selatan Nigeria. Enam belas sampel telah tertakluk kepada analisispendarfluor sinar-x (XRF) untuk menilai komposisi oksida penting manakala lapan belas telah dianalisis untuk komposisi unsur nadir bumi mereka. Sepuluh sampel sedimen telah disediakan ke dalam bahagian nipis untuk kajian mineralogi di bawah mikroskop petrografi. Pendekatan geokimia menggunakan plot komposisi sampelTiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Na₂O dan K₂O pada fungsi diskriminasi menunjukkan sumber igneus Felsik yang disahkan oleh pengayaan dalam kepekatan unsur nadir bumi ringan. Ia juga menunjukkan asal sedimen perantaraan dan Kuartzos pada margin pasif dan arka pulau lautan. Komposisi modal serpihan kuarza, feldspar dan batuan yang diplotkan pada rajah segi tiga menunjukkan asal-usul orogen metamorfik, plutonik dan kitar semula dengan bahagian dalam kratonik dan benua aktiviti peralihan dan tingkatan bawah tanah. Kawasan kajian itu mengandungi mendapan sedimen yang diperoleh daripada asal enapan plutonik, metamorfik dan kuarzos dengan kesan aktiviti tektonik tektonik dan tektonik bercapah.

Kata kunci: Asal; geokimia; paleotektonik; petrografi; sedimen

 

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*Corresponding author; email: bib@ukm.edu.my