Geological and Structural Interpretation of Part of the Buem Formation, Ghana, Using Aerogeophysical Data

Abstract

Airborne magnetic and radiometric datasets were processed to interpret the geology of part of the Buem formation and estimate the depth to basement of magnetic source in the area. The study was aimed at mapping lithology, delineating structural lineaments and their trends as well as estimating the depth to magnetic source bodies of the area. The data processing steps involved advance improved enhancement filters such as reduction to the pole, analytic signal and first vertical derivative, Tilt angle derivative and these helped delineate geological structures and lithology within the Buem formation. The radiometric datasets displaying the geochemical information on potassium, thorium and uranium concentrations within the study area proved valuable in delineating the Buem shales, sandstones, basalts and part of the Voltaian sediments that underlie the Buem formation of the area. Lineament analysis using the rose diagram showed that the area is dominated by north-south (NS) and east-west (EW) trending lineaments. Depths to the magnetic source bodies were estimated using Werner deconvolution method, indicating two depth source models. The depth of the magnetic body produced from the dike model ranged from 101.15 m to 1866.34 m and that of the contact model ranged from 100.36 m to 983.709 m.

Keywords: Buem formation, aeromagnetic, radiometric, hydrothermal, alteration, mineralization.