1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67 Dschang, Cameroon
2Institute for Geological and Mining Research, P.O. Box 4110 Yaounde-Cameroon
3University of Çukurova, Department of Geological Engineering, Sarıçam, Adana, Turkey
4Department of Earth Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812 Yaoundé
5Department of Geology University of Johannesburg-South Africa, P.O. Box: 524 Auckland Park 2006 Gauteng APK Campus
Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics.
2020,
Vol. 8 No. 1, 15-24
DOI: 10.12691/jgg-8-1-3
Copyright © 2020 Science and Education PublishingCite this paper: Robinson Tchatchueng, Habib Dadjo Djamo, Timoléon Ngnotué, Evine Laure Tanko Njiosseu, Mamadou Traoré, Cyriel Moudioh, Hervé Wabo, Cédric Djeutchou, Jean Paul Nzenti. Petrography and Major Element Geochemistry of the Endengue Iron Formations, Ntem Complex, South Cameroon.
Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics. 2020; 8(1):15-24. doi: 10.12691/jgg-8-1-3.
Correspondence to: Robinson Tchatchueng, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67 Dschang, Cameroon. Email:
tchatchuengrobinson@yahoo.comAbstract
The Endengue iron formations (IFs) belong to the Archaen Ntem greenstones belt at the NW edge of Congo craton and comprise magnetite-bearing gneiss associated with biotite-pyroxene gneiss and intruded by biotite granite and charnockite. The studied IFs are fine-grained; weak foliated rocks, composed of quartz-pyroxene-magnetite-plagioclase mineral assemblages, suggesting high-grade metamorphism. Whole-rock geochemical composition reveals that iron and silica are the main chemical components of the studied IFs with an average TFe2O3 + SiO2 of 93.06 wt-%, suggesting the purity of the chemical precipitation. In addition, the high average Si/Al (38.69); Fe/Ti (766.83) and Fe/Al (56.36) ratios and the Fe/Ti vs Al/(Al+Fe+Mn) plot suggest that the major components (> 80%) of the Endengue IFs are predominantly hydrothermal in origin. However, the slightly high Al2O3+TiO2 content (average of 2.14 wt-%) suggested a detrital input during their deposition. The studied IF samples with an average Total Fe content of 39.40 wt-%, low gangue (34.68 wt-% SiO2 and 1.05 wt-% Al2O3) and deleterious (P2O5: 0.07 wt-%) elements contents, correspond to accepted commercial low grade siliceous ore by global standards. The Edengue IFs shared chemical similarities with other Precambrian IFs worldwide.
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