The Geology of Ikot Ikpora and Its Environs and Assessment of Water Quality of Boreholes in Calabar South, Cross River, Nigeria.

ABSTRACTIkot-Okpora and its environs, is located in Biase Local Government Area of CrossRiver State, Nigeria. The area occupies approximately 30 km' between longitudes8° 4' 0" E and 8° 8' 0" E and latitudes 5º 24' 0" N and 5° 28' 0" N. The gridtransversing and compass method were used during the mapping exercise. Thetopographic map of the study area was divided into grids of 30 fractions of onesquare kilometre each. Individual pace-distances were taken and used to convertthe total pacing to an outcrop location into an actual distances in metres. At eachoutcrop, full lithologic description of the outcrop was done. The geologicalcomposition of this area includes both sedimentary and basement rocks. Thebasement rocks are of both metamorphic (schist) and igneous (granodiorite andpegmatite) origin, while the sedimentary rock was basically sandstone. In thelaboratory, petrological analysis of the granodiorite revealed that plagioclase is themost dominant mineral. In the pegmatite samples, quartz is the most dominantmineral, accompanied by significant amounts of magnetite, muscovite, andplagioclase. Both granodiorite and pegmatite show extensive weathering andfracturing, showing geologic history that dates back to the precambrian. Thefracture patterns are primarily oriented NW-SE, as shown by the rose diagram, theminor trend was in the NE-SW direction suggesting that the area has beeninfluenced by the Pan-African orogeny, which has affected the Nigerian BasementComplex. The sandstone exhibits bedding planes that indicate multiple depositionalphases. The area is characterized by two major climatic seasons, the wet and thedry season controlled by two seasonal winds, its vegetation is characterized by treeslike mahogany, iroko, sapele, etc. The study area has an intricate network of streamsand rivers with an elevation not more than 100m above sea levels. Ikot Okpora andits environs has a vast untapped economic resources ranging from the natural sandswhich are mined, grandiorite which can be used as construction materials, abrasivematerials like quartz are also found in the study area and the ground water has greatpotential.V