ISSN 2756-3251
Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Field evidence of occurrence of groundwater in Gombe formation around Barambu and Gedawo, Northeastern Nigeria
Abdullahi Emmanuel Bala
Department of Geology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel.: 0803 665 7130.
Accepted 14 October, 2017
Abstract
The study area lies within the Upper Benue Trough South of Gombe town. Field study was carried out by methods of compass traversing and traversing along stream courses. Gombe formation, exposing 3 sandstone lithofacies comprising the upper, middle and lower members, in this part of the Trough, has a thickness of about 63 m. 2 aquiferous zones occur in the formation. The upper aquifer is found towards the bottom of the upper member of the formation and sometimes at the top of the middle member where sandstone beds interbed with impervious layers of ironstone. The middle member of the formation is essentially an aquitard and overlies the lower member which is an aquifer. Both aquifers are low water yielding. Analysis of grain size of the lower aquifer shows that the sandstones are very fine-grained to fine- to medium-grained, poorly sorted to moderately sorted, and they are river or beach sediments. The intrinsic permeability of the sediments (aquifers) determined from the grain size varies from 1.215 x 10-4 to 3.840 x 10-4 cm/s. The aquifers can be developed for rural water supplies.
Key words: Groundwater, aquifer, Upper Benue Trough, Gombe formation, Nigeria.