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Geochemistry of stream sediments from Eséka area (SW Cameroon): implications for surface process assessment and precious metals (Au, Pd, and Pt) exploration

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Abstract

Stream sediment geochemical data from SW Cameroon were examined as a contribution for surface process study and preliminary exploration of Au, Pd, and Pt. Samples were collected from both active and overbank stream sediments. Samples were analyzed for mineralogy, major and trace elements including rare-earth elements, and Au, Pd, and Pt concentrations. The sediments are mainly made up of quartz, gibbsite, goethite, and kaolinite. Their chemical composition is dominated by SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3. They are geochemically classified as Fe-sand and derive from moderate to intense weathered sources which are the local surrounding rocks. Variability in the chemical composition could be attributed to weathering and hydrodynamic sorting of sediments during transport. Trace and rare-earth elements are sparsely present in river sediments in the Eséka area. The high Zr contents could reveal high proportion of zircon as a resistant mineral to weathering. The normalized REE patterns show relative HREE enrichment due to the fact that zircon preferentially incorporates HREE. The variable La/Sc, La/Co, Th/Sc, Zr/Cr, LREE/HREE ratios, and Eu-anomalies suggest that the stream sediments may have originated from mixed felsic and mafic source contributions. Gold, Pd, and Pt have variable contents with the highest contents in the active stream samples. The active stream sediments are the appropriate tools for geochemical Au surveys in humid forest regions. Despite the low contents in stream sediments, some sampling points are favorable for further Au, Pd, and Pt exploration in their upstream sources. The clayey materials should be favorable for Pd and Pt accumulations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the laboratory team of the Botswana International University of Sciences and Technology (BIUST) for providing the mineralogical composition. The authors are very grateful to Geoscience Laboratories of Sudbury (Canada) for partial support of geochemical analyses.

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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Elisé Sababa, Cécile Olive Mbesse, Charnelle Nelly Wandji Mouko, Armel Zacharie Ekoa Bessa & Paul-Désiré Ndjigui

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  1. Elisé Sababa
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Sababa, E., Mbesse, C.O., Wandji Mouko, C.N. et al. Geochemistry of stream sediments from Eséka area (SW Cameroon): implications for surface process assessment and precious metals (Au, Pd, and Pt) exploration. J. Sediment. Environ. 7, 43–66 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43217-021-00082-3

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