Geochemical Dispersion of Major and Trace elements in Termite Mound and Soil from Shanono Area, Northwestern Nigeria: Implication for Mineral Exploration

Abstract

Geochemical prospecting of economically extractible ore deposits in regions 
characterized by thick in-situ and transported cover are usually fraught with a lot of 
challenges owing to the fact that dispersion of indicator elements to the surface is 
often constricted. In this study, we used major and trace elements data of soil and 
termite mound samples from Shanono, northwestern Nigeria, to determine the 
possible presence of deeply buried gold and related mineralization in the area. In 
In this regard, Biological Absorption Coefficient (BAC) and Principal Component 
Analysis (PCA) were carried out on the major and trace elements compositions of 
the soil and termite mound samples. The results revealed high concentrations and 
BAC values of potential pathfinder elements for gold such as As, Ag, Zn, and Cu in 
the study samples, which has been interpreted to indicate the presence of deeply 
concealed gold mineralization in the area. In addition, the termite mound samples 
from the study are also enriched in Ni and Cr, indicating the possible presence of 
chromite and/or platinum group elements mineralization in the area. This study, 
therefore, highlight the efficacy of using termite mound and soil as an exploration 
tool to vector toward potentially buried gold and related mineralization in a 
regolith-dominated terrain.