Structural Controls and Mineralization Style of Baryte Deposits in the Azara Area, Central Benue Trough, Nigeria: Implications for Mineral Exploration

Structural Controls and Mineralization Style of Baryte Deposits in the Azara Area, Central Benue Trough, Nigeria: Implications for Mineral Exploration | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Structural Controls and Mineralization Style of Baryte Deposits in the Azara Area, Central Benue Trough, Nigeria: Implications for Mineral Exploration Diyelmak Victor Bulus This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9277014/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Baryte mineralization in the Azara area, central Benue Trough, Nigeria, occurs with base metals and considered generally as part of an epigenetic, structurally controlled hydrothermal system hosted mainly by Cretaceous siliciclastic rocks with minor carbonate interbeds. This study evaluates the structural controls, vein geometry, and mineralization style of the Azara deposits to unravel ore-fluid pathways and predict exploration targeting. Integrated surface mapping, satellite-image processing, airborne radiometric analysis, and lithologic-structural log data of available exploration drill core were used to assess vein distribution, continuity, and host-rock relationships. The results show that baryte occurs in discrete vein clusters along a major NE–SW structural corridor which coincided with a topographic ridge inferred to be an anticlinal crest. Radiometric data revealed an elongate K-enriched zone which was also corroborated by ternary diagram of the presence of a major structural corridor recognized as Keana anticline extention, while structural analysis indicates a dominant NW–SE vein set with subordinate E–W and minor N–S sets. Drill-core intersections reveal steep to subvertical, bedding-discordant mineralization occuring as massive fissure-fill lodes, breccia infill, stockwork veinlets, and open-space cavity fills. The principal assemblage is baryte with siderite and associated minor chalcopyrite–pyrite, followed by late sphalerite in dilational sites. These relationships indicate a multi-stage hydrothermal system controlled by fold-related fracture connectivity and repeated reactivation of fractures. Although the K anomaly may partly reflect lithologic exposure, the combined structural and radiometric evidence highlights anticlinal crests, vein-set intersections, and dilational jogs as key exploration targets in the central Benue Trough. Geology baryte hydrothermal veins structural control anticline radiometric MVT-like Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9277014","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":615119671,"identity":"9226df18-d3e8-445e-89c7-6a7afb53ddc0","order_by":0,"name":"Diyelmak Victor Bulus","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4UlEQVRIie3RMQrCMBSA4ScFu6TOKaV3KARaRfEshkLP0LEgdBJnvUU2cYtkcCm6Kl3s5ugYJ00L6pbWTTD/khDykYQAmEw/WABWpoYJgAWzeqGXtZNmT/I9Ee+FdhJhmrv3/Eg3NlSVhInPuCOuOjJa0dxz8pJu5xATBAlhfJAMtRc7KQJFSZmAxFM3pIyjMGgjriwODXElPLoRjFLeEIyA14RctG9ZVPMxSmOiiHpLEJO1QKFOQGTHu7MMpj47FrSS6dRf7hfkpjWf0Kz+pvpP+7gjsflrZnU9xWQymf6jJ6V6TQS9hhLgAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3644-6139","institution":"University of Jos","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Diyelmak","middleName":"Victor","lastName":"Bulus","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-31 08:41:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9277014/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9277014/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105896380,"identity":"50bcfec9-6da9-4d72-82de-99da69d70ec2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-01 08:46:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1602928,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptSpringer.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9277014/v1_covered_717c6f63-cc4d-43a5-9eb4-f88ce55214ec.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStructural Controls and Mineralization Style of Baryte Deposits in the Azara Area, Central Benue Trough, Nigeria: Implications for Mineral Exploration\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[{"identity":"3aace278-c924-4179-b1d1-3ddea6742962","identifier":"10.13039/501100008895","name":"Tertiary Education Trust Fund","awardNumber":"S6653","order_by":0}],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"University of Jos","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"baryte, hydrothermal veins, structural control, anticline, radiometric, MVT-like","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9277014/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9277014/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eBaryte mineralization in the Azara area, central Benue Trough, Nigeria, occurs with base metals and considered generally as part of an epigenetic, structurally controlled hydrothermal system hosted mainly by Cretaceous siliciclastic rocks with minor carbonate interbeds. 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