Abstract
A regional lithostratigraphic and hydraulic interpretation is presented for the upper 0–300 m of the Benin Formation where groundwater is abstracted in the Rivers State, Nigeria.
The aquifers are predominantly sand beds with minor clays, lignite, and conglomerate intercalations. The sands are very fine to coarse grained, subangular to subrounded, poor to fairly well sorted and mostly lithic arenites. A maximum thickness greater than 50 m is developed in places and vertical stacking is common. Most of the conglomerate beds have a matrix support fabric and appear restricted to the east as the lignite beds. An east-west trending belt, about central to the state, seems to contain more clay interbeds.
The transmissivity values for the aquifers range from 1.05 × 10−2 to 11.3 × 10−2 m2/sec, while the coefficient of storage varies between 1.07 × 10−4 and 3.53 × 10−4 and specific capacity values lie between 19.01 and 139.8 m3/h/m drawdown. These values suggest that the aquifers have very good capacity to transmit groundwater. The static water level map shows a north-to-south regional groundwater flow pattern except in the northeast (Imo River catchment area) where the flow is northeast to southwest. The groundwater quality is very good and compares favorably with WHO standards for drinking water. However, relatively high iron and chloride values are localized in time and space.
Deposition of the aquifer materials is thought to have occurred in alluvial fan, fluvial channel, tidal channel, intertidal flat, beach, and related microenvironments.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Allen, J. R. L., 1963, Sedimentation in the modern delta of the River Niger, West Africa; L.M.J.U.in Van Straaten, ed., Deltaic and shallow marine Sediments: Amsterdam, Elsevier, p. 26–34.
Allen, J. R. L., 1970, Sediments of the modern Niger delta: A summary and review,in J. P. Morgan, ed., Deltaic sedimentation: Special Publications of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Tulsa, OK, v. 15, p. 138–151.
Amadi, P. A., C. O. Ofoegbu, and T. Morrison, 1989, Hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater quality in parts of the Niger Delta, Nigeria: Environmental Geology and Water Science Bulletin, v. 14, p. 195–202.
Amajor, L. C., 1986a, Alluvial fan facies in the Moocene-Pliocene coastal plain sands, Niger delta: Sedimentary Geology, v. 29, p. 1–20.
Amajor, L. C., 1986b, Geochemical characteristics of groundwaters in Port Harcourt and environs: Proceedings of NWASA Symposium, UNILAG, Lagos, p. 359–376.
Amajor, L. C., 1989, Geological appraisal of groundwater exploitation in the eastern Niger delta;in C. O. Ofoegbu, ed., Groundwater and Mineral Resources of Nigeria: Braunschweig/Weisbaden, Friedr Vieweg and Sohn, p. 85–100.
Avbovbo, A. A., 1978, Tertiary lithostratigraphy of the Niger delta: Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 62, p. 295–300.
Clarke, R. H., 1979, Reservoir Properties of conglomerates and conglomeratic sandstones: Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 65, p. 799–809.
Etu-Efeotor, J. O., 1981, Preliminary hydrogeochemical investigations of subsurface waters in parts of the Niger delta: Bulletin of the Nigerian Mining GeoScience Association, v. 18, p. 103–110.
Etu-Efeotor, J. O., and M. I. Odigi, 1983, Water supply problems in the eastern Niger delta: Journal of the Nigerian Mining Geoscience Society, v. 20, p. 183–192.
Evamy, D. D., J. Haremboure, P. Kamerling, W. A. Knaap, F. A. Molloy, and F. P. H. Rowlands, 1978, Hydrocarbon habitats of Tertiary Niger delta: Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 62, p. 1–39.
Hampton, M. A., 1972, The role of subaqueous debris flow in generating turbidity currents: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 42, p. 775–793.
Hedberg, H. D., 1968, Significance of high-wax oils with respect to genesis of petroleum: Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 52, p. 736–750.
Jacob, C. E., 1950, Flow of groundwater;in H. Rouse, ed., Engineering Hydraulics: New York, John Wiley & Sons, p. 321–386.
Njoku, A., 1985, Lithostratigraphy of the Upper Benin Formation aquifers, Rivers State, Nigeria: Unpublished BSc thesis, UNIPORT., 32 p.
Olorunfemi, B. N., W. S. Fyfe, B. Kronberg, and O. Imaseun, 1983, Clay diagenesis as a function of marine and non marine water flow, Niger delta, Nigeria: Journal of African Earth Science, v. 3, p. 399–408.
Omatsola, M. E., and E. A. Cordry, 1976. Afam Formation: Its stratigraphy, microfauna and environment of deposition: Shell Petroleum Development Company internal report (unpublished).
Oomkens, E., 1974, Lithofacies relations in the Late Quaternary Niger delta complex: Sedimentology, v. 21, p. 195–222.
Reyment, R. A., 1965, Aspects of the geology of Nigeria: Ibadan University Press, Ibadan, 145 p.
Rust, B. R., 1978, Depositional models for braided alluvium;in A. D. Mial ed., Fluvial Sedimentology: Canadian Society of Petrol. Geology Mem., v. 5, p. 605–625.
Scruton, P. C., 1960, Delta building and the deltaic sequence;in F. P. Shephard, F. B. Phleger, and T. J. Van Andel, eds., Recent sediments, northwestern Gulf of Mexico, 1951–1958: Bulletin of the American Association Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, OK, p. 82–102.
Short, K. C., and A. J. Stauble, 1967, Outline of the geology of Niger delta: Bulletin of the American Association Petroleum Geologists, v. 51, p. 761–779.
Theis, C. V., 1935, The relation between the lowering of the piezometric surface and the rate and duration of discharge of a well using groundwater storage: Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 16, p. 519–524.
Walker, R. G., 1975, Conglomerates: Sedimentary structures and facies models;in J. C. Harms, J. B. Southard, D. P. Spearing, and R. G. Walker, eds., Depositional environments as interpreted from primary sedimentary structures and stratification sequences: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Short Course, v. 2, p. 133–159.
WHO, 1971, International standards for drinking water, 3rd edition: Geneva.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Amajor, L.C. Aquifers in the benin formation (miocene—recent), eastern Niger delta, Nigeria: Lithostratigraphy, hydraulics, and water quality. Environ. Geol. Water Sci 17, 85–101 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701565
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701565