Chemical Profiling of Minerals and Elemental Composition of Rock and Soil Samples from Bakin Dutse Hills, Madagali, Adamawa State Nigeria

Evaluation of natural resources via chemical profiling is a prerequisite to mining and material sourcing, which are important activities in positioning an economy for the future. This study explores the untapped rocks located within the Bakin Dutse hills in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria. The minerals and elemental compositions of the rock samples were determined using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments respectively. Results of the mineral composition of the rock samples showed (in order of abundance) the presence of quartz, albite, annite, and microcline, as well as orthoclase, phlogopite, oligoclase, chrysotile, and cordierite which were sparsely found in the study area. The abundant presence of silicate and aluminum silicate minerals in the study area was also shown in the major elemental composition of the rock samples, which follow the order SiO۲ (۵۵.۷۶ – ۶۳.۸۱%) > Al۲O۳ (۱۱.۰۶ - ۱۳.۱۵%) > Fe۲O۳ (۸.۴۱ – ۱۱.۲%) > K۲O (۶.۱۲ – ۷.۷۵%) > CaO (۲.۲۹ – ۶.۳۷%) > Na۲O (۲.۴%) > MgO (۰.۰۹ -۲.۲%) > SO۳ (۰.۳۷ – ۱.۰۵%). The minor elements in the rocks include PbO, TiO۲, BaO, CuO, ZnO, P۲O۵, ZrO۲, Rb۲O, MnO, and Cl. The mineral and elemental compositions of the soil in the study area show similarities that link the origin of the soil to the weathering of the rocks. The geo-chemical data provided in this study will make an important contribution to both the literature and the database for future mining prospects in the study area.