Journal of African Earth Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Bioerosion traces on late cretaceous invertebrate skeletons from the Aruma Formation, central Saudi Arabia: Stratigraphic and paleoecological significance","authors":"Abdelbaset S. El-Sorogy ,&nbsp;Huriye Demircan ,&nbsp;Taisser Zumlot ,&nbsp;Khaled Al-Kahtany ,&nbsp;Mohamed Tawfik","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105815","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105815","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Upper Cretaceous Aruma Formation in central Saudi Arabia provides critical insights into the paleoenvironmental and paleoecological conditions of the Arabian Plate during the Late Cretaceous. This study documents and analyzes bioerosion traces on invertebrate skeletons (bivalves and echinoids) from the Aruma Formation to infer depositional environments and biotic interactions. A total of 383 bioeroded specimens were examined, revealing diverse ichnofossils, including <em>Gastrochaenolites</em> (bivalve borings), <em>Entobia</em> (sponge borings), <em>Caulostrepsis, Maeandropolydora, Trypanites</em> (polychaete borings), and <em>Rogerella</em> (barnacle borings). These traces indicate a shallow marine environment with fluctuating energy levels, firm substrates, and periods of low sedimentation. The high diversity of bioeroders suggests a complex ecosystem with intense competition for rigid substrates, while suspension-feeding borers point to nutrient-rich waters. The findings align with a carbonate platform setting influenced by regional tectonics and eustatic sea-level changes. This study enhances our understanding of Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems in the Arabian Plate and provides insights into the interplay between bioerosion, paleoecology, and depositional environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105815"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring seasonal land surface temperature and land cover dynamics in West Wollega, Ethiopia, using remote sensing technology","authors":"Hunduma Abate Keno ,&nbsp;Mitiku Badasa Moisa ,&nbsp;Birhanu Kebede Kuris ,&nbsp;Fedhasa Benti Chalchissa","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on land surface temperature (LST) over a three-decade period to investigate human influence on regional climate variability. Using Landsat images in 1992, 2002, and 2022, cross-validated with field surveys as well as high-resolution data, we evaluated LULC changes and their thermal effects. Spectral indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI) were employed to examine long-term LST trends. The results indicate a significant change in the settlement land use type, which increased by 176.36 % in the study area. Meanwhile, forest and grassland areas decreased by 4.3 % and 21.04 %, respectively, whereas bare soil and farmland expanded by 47 % and 21.46 %. NDVI and OSAVI seasonality was striking in the Belg and Kiremt seasons and governed LST variability. There was a steady increase in the average LST every year, with the highest increase in the urban area (4.5 °C by 2022) due to the urban heat island effect, followed by cropland (3.7 °C) due to vegetation loss. Forest cover experienced lower temperature increases, indicating its cooling potential. Urbanization and vegetation degradation increase regional warming, keeping in view the importance of sustainable land-use planning. More greens, climate-resilient urban development, and forest preservation are essential to combat LST exacerbation and trigger resilience to the climate. These observations in such studies emphasize that land management measures have to be complementary to adaptation measures to avoid perturbation of the ecosystem and stop local warming patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105812"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surface and subsurface deformation analysis of Sarajeh gas field and adjacent areas: Implications of tectonic deformation on gas reservoir characteristics","authors":"Hamid Roohafza ,&nbsp;Hojjat ollah Safari ,&nbsp;Iraj Abdollahi ,&nbsp;Ahmed E. Radwan","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study delves into the surface and subsurface deformation analysis of the Sarajeh Gas Field and its adjacent areas, with a particular focus on structural geology. Utilizing comprehensive geological surveys and advanced deformation analysis techniques, the research aims to identify and characterize the deformation patterns present in both surface and subsurface layers. The surface deformation analysis reveals significant deformation in the southern part of Sarajeh, especially within the Hossein Abad partition. Here, the Qom-Zefreh fault line undergoes a notable shift from a north–south to a northwest–southeast orientation, resulting in pronounced folding and deformation. In the subsurface analysis, the Lower Red Formation is identified as the most deformed layer. This is primarily due to its composition of evaporites and salt, combined with the presence of a detachment layer between the Eocene volcanic rocks and the solid Qom Formation. These geological characteristics contribute to the extensive deformation observed in the Lower Red Formation. The deformation of surface and subsurface rock masses is chiefly governed by the interplay between regional tectonics, fault geometry, lithological heterogeneity, and mechanical stratigraphy, with the Qom-Zefreh fault system and evaporite-rich detachment layers playing pivotal roles in strain localization and structural complexity. Stress-induced deformation in the Sarajeh anticline simultaneously enhanced reservoir quality through fracture development and compromised seal integrity via fault-related compartmentalization, critically shaping gas accumulation and flow dynamics. The study demonstrates how this deformation impacts reservoir reliability: fractures enhance permeability in the Qom Formation (supporting gas storage), while compartmentalization poses risks to seal integrity. The findings from this study provide critical insights into the structural dynamics of the region, offering valuable information for future geological studies, resource management, and potential exploration activities in the Sarajeh Gas Field and its surrounding areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105810"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lithostructural controls of Pb-Cu-Ag mineralized veins of Jbel Addana district (Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco): Implications for mineral exploration","authors":"Zoubair El Ouad ,&nbsp;Mohamed Alaeddine Belfoul ,&nbsp;Mustapha Souhassou ,&nbsp;Moha Ikenne ,&nbsp;Chetan Nathwani ,&nbsp;Mohamed Ez-zghoudy ,&nbsp;Abdessamad El Atillah","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lower Paleozoic terrains of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas are known to host numerous Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ag occurrences, many of which are currently being explored and developed. The Jbel Addana district, which is the focus of this study, is situated in the western Anti-Atlas, at 35 km southeast of the Tagragra d’Akka Precambrian inlier. Structurally, it is an anticline predominantly composed of Upper Ordovician sedimentary Formations. These terrains host a network of Pb-Cu-Ag veins which are characterised by very old mining.</div><div>This study not only aims to integrate the Jbel Addana district into the regional tectonic and mining context but also to provide valuable insights for future mineral exploration and sustainable development in the Anti-Atlas region. The adopted methodological approach is essentially based on field investigations, geological mapping, structural analysis, and numerical processing of structural data using Win-Tensor software to understand the controls on mineralization.</div><div>The main results show that the mineralized bodies correspond to vertically dipping mineralized veins trending NNE-SSW and WNW-ESE. At the surface, mineralization is characterized by a supergene paragenesis comprising malachite, azurite, limonite, anglesite, and cerussite, while it is dominated by galena and a quartz gangue at depth. These mineralizations are hosted within fractures that crosscut the competent units, notably sandstones and quartzites, whereas they are almost lacking in the incompetent units, such as schists. The opening of these fractures is linked to the structural configuration of the Jbel Addana anticline, that conducted by the uplift of Precambrian basement blocks. This is caused by the inversion of the normal paleofaults of Upper Neoproterozoic-Lower Cambrian rifting into reverse faults during Hercynian orogeny.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105801"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144810193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Porphyry copper prospectivity modelling using data driven and hybrid outranking methods: A case study of Shahr-e-Babak study area, South Eastern Iran","authors":"Moslem Jahantigh,&nbsp;Hamidreza Ramazi","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identifying potential and mineralized areas with a reasonable level of confidence is a complex issue. The use of supervised methods and machine learning could help to achieve a batter results in such studies. In the present study, exploratory data and information available in the study area of Shahr-e-Babak were collected, pre-processed, processed and analyzed. In the next step, this information was implemented to produce and prioritize a porphyry copper mineralization model. In order to improve the modelling of porphyry copper mineralization, a combination of data-driven methods, supervised machine learning, and multivariate decision-making (MCDM) methods were applied. This paper proposes an acceptable process for selecting exploration layers, the impact of weights on the generated layers, and their combination. For this purpose, a data-driven method was used to select exploratory evidential layers. Then, machine learning methods include random forest (RF), adaptive neuro fuzzy (ANFIS), artificial neural network (ANN) and generalized neural network (GRNN), which are proven methods in mineral prospectivity modelling (MPM), were used to integrate exploration layers. The exploratory evidential layers include remote sensing, geochemistry, geology, and geophysics. To improve the obtained models, decrease stochastic uncertainty, prioritize porphyry copper potential area and generate the final MPM, the MOORA method as a MCDM method was used to. Then, the prediction-area plot (P-A) method, taking into account the cu occurrences in the area and the normalized density method as a traditional method, were applied to weight and evaluate the produced layers in the form of a data-driven method. Subsequently, the final potential map was generated using the MOORA method with more favourable performance than machine learning methods. The results of the MOORA method confirm that this process is more successful in producing the desired MPM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105792"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depositional environments and Tectonic Controls on Paleocene phosphorite-rich successions in the Marbat-Traibeel Basin, Western Desert of Iraq","authors":"Ibrahim Q. Mohammed ,&nbsp;Ali H. Dohan ,&nbsp;Anwar K. Mousa ,&nbsp;Fadhil A. Lawa ,&nbsp;Sawsan H. Alhazaa ,&nbsp;Sherif Farouk ,&nbsp;Khaled Al-Kahtany ,&nbsp;John H. Powell","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the depositional environments of Paleocene phosphorite-rich carbonate and siliciclastic successions along an NNE-SSW cross-section of the Marbat-Traibeel Basin, Western Desert, Iraq. This study examines over 500 thin sections from six vertical stratigraphic sections, encompassing boreholes and outcrops along a transect from the Rutbah High to the Iraqi-Jordanian border. It investigates lithofacies distribution, depositional sequences, and basin architecture through an integrated analysis of tectonic, sedimentological, biostratigraphic, and sequence stratigraphic data, providing insights into the basin's depositional history. It aims to elucidate the geological evolution of the Paleocene Akashat Formation and the Traifawi Member/Jeed Formation within the Marbat-Traibeel Basin, located on the northern margin of the southern Tethys Ocean. This region is characterized by complex interactions between shallow marine carbonate, siliciclastic, siliceous, and phosphatic lithofacies influenced by a submerged but tectonically active structural high (Rutbah High). The study identifies 26 lithofacies classified into seven associations based on lithological and sedimentological features, representing inner, middle, and outer ramp depositional environments. The phosphorite-rich carbonate succession, particularly the Upper Danian Hirri Member, indicates deposition on an open, distally steepened ramp and hosts substantial economic phosphate reserves. Syn-depositional tectonics influenced the ramp morphology and sedimentation of the phosphorite, which resulted in lateral variations in thickness and microfacies. Tectonic instability resulted in numerous depositional hiatuses (Cretaceous/Paleogene, Lower Danian - Upper Danian; Selandian – Thanetian, Upper Paleocene – Lower Eocene boundary) and eastward thinning of depositional sequences on the Rutbah High. Seven distinct Paleocene third-order depositional sequences are identified in the western part of the study area, near the Jordan-Iraq border, passing eastward to four third-order sequences, a pattern attributed to tectonic uplift on the Rutbah High. The depositional sequences are separated by boundaries characterized by vertical facies changes, including prominent <em>Thalassinoides</em> burrows/firmgrounds on transgressive surfaces with significant hiatuses that correlate with known eustatic sea-level falls associated with the Arabian Platform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105802"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144864081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sedimentology, depositional architecture and diagenetic overprints of a carbonate tidal channel system: An example from the Middle Eocene of northern Egypt","authors":"Selim S. Selim ,&nbsp;Ahmed W. Hussein","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The carbonate tidal channels are major compartment in the carbonate platform environments. Sedimentology and heterogeneities of the carbonate tidal channels are poorly documented in the rock record as most studies focused on recent analogues. This study introduces a sedimentological model for carbonate tidal channels using a Bartonian outcrop example from northern Egypt, and it contributes to understanding their reservoir controls. Five channel architectures were identified including braided type (tidal inlet), laterally migrating, stacked meandering, single meandering, and small-scale tidal creek channels depending on both the macroscale outcrop and microscale petrograhic investigations. Four sedimentary facies types have been recognized: stratified and cross-stratifed bioclastic foraminiferal grainstone, wavy bedded foraminiferal packstone, laminated to structureless foraminiferal wackestone and structureless lime mudstone. The tidal inlet channel shows the highest reservoir quality and larger reservoir bodies. The stacked and lateral migrating meandering channels are characterized by good reservoir quality. They grade lagoon-ward into single meandering channel and subsequently to tidal creeks, whereas the reservoir quality decreases toward the lagoon. On the mesoscale, the grainestone-rich bodies at the channel lower part exhibit good reservoir quality, while the muddy-rich ponds behave as barriers. On the microscale, the dissolution and microfracturing are the main diagenetic processes enhancing the reservoir quality, while the cementation, compaction, micritization and neomorphism diminishing the reservoir quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144826857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of occurrence of Mn-mineralization bearing rocks hosted in hoggar cenozoic felsic lavas, hoggar, Algeria","authors":"Riad Ben El Khaznadji ,&nbsp;Abderrahmane Bendaoud ,&nbsp;Sonia Ouadahi","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>For the first time in North Africa, a large field Mn-mineralization bearing felsic lava association is described and located. Significant deposits of manganiferous formations, mainly a potassic manganese dioxide associated with high K alkaline felsic lavas have been discovered in the Tuareg Shield, more specifically in the Aleksod volcanic district of the Central Hoggar. Micro-Raman spectroscopy, ore microscopy and electron microprobe investigations were used to identify the manganese oxide (mainly Mn-K). It was done using felsic ore samples from the Aleksod volcanic area. The most prevalent minerals in the host lavas are quartz, alkali feldspar, and magnesio-mica, with cryptomelane being the predominant manganese mineral in these samples. The chemical composition of the rocks is an indication that they are free from magmatic contamination. Replacement, fluid movement, leaching and precipitation are probably the most common ways in which post-magmatic manganese can be circulated. However, much of the ore appears to have been enriched by mineral leaching and subsequent addition of manganese. The presence of this manganese in the outcrop is a readily exploitable indicator of economic exploitation. These findings are sufficient to characterize the uniqueness of this first significant Mn observation in felsic lavas and confirm the geodynamic model involving a history of sedimentary basins from the late Proterozoic to the Cretaceous, ultimately interacting with Cenozoic volcanism in this part of the Hoggar.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nummulitids from Lower Eocene section at Darb Gaga, Baris Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt: New calibration of Eocene larger foraminiferal biostratigraphic zonation","authors":"Abeer Shreif ,&nbsp;Nageh A. Obaidalla ,&nbsp;Moustafa H. El-Dawy ,&nbsp;Mohamed Boukhary","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Four large foraminiferal species have been newly recorded from the Darb Gaga area. The Darb Gaga area is represented by the Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene succession, which is composed of the Esna Formation (Fm.) at the base followed upward by the lowermost part of the Thebes Fm. The present work concentrates on Abu Had Member (Mb.), the upper part of the Esna Fm., and the Thebes Fm. A new genus (<em>Solimanina</em>) is introduced for the first time in Egypt. Two species (<em>Solimanina canaliferus</em> and <em>Solimanina</em> conf. <em>subgranulosa</em>) belong to this genus. These species are recorded from the Abu Had Mb. Moreover, <em>Nummulites pernotus</em> and <em>Nummulites partschi</em> have been documented from the Thebes Fm. Morphometric, biometric, taxonomic and systematic study of the large benthonic foraminifera (LBF) in integration with field, litho- and bio-stratigraphical studies of the study area have been done. The recorded LBF species assigned the Abu Had Mb. and the lowermost part of the Thebes to be Early Eocene in age (Ypresian), within SBZ10 (the beginning of Late Ypresian). The shift from the outer shelf environment prevailed during the deposition of the Darb Gaga Mb. to the inner shelf environment of the Abu Had Mb. and the lowermost part of the Thebes Fm. may be due to sea-level changes and/or tectonism that occurred in Early Eocene (Ypresian) age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 105794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144864082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictive modeling of orogenic gold prospectivity in the Wawa area, western Nigeria, using three most commonly-used machine learning algorithms","authors":"Sodiq Abiodun Alimi,&nbsp;Emmanuel John M. Carranza","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The unavailability of prospectivity maps for orogenic gold deposits in western Nigeria has been a significant setback in the federal government's efforts to attract mining investors. Prospectivity modeling is a potent exploration tool that allows for the segregation of large expanses of land into high and low prospectivity zones. To support the Nigerian government efforts in its diversification of the Nigerian economy towards the solid mineral sector and attract mining investments into the country, this research focused on the use of machine learning (ML) models for orogenic gold prospectivity modeling in the Wawa area, a southern extension of the gold-bearing Zuru Schist Belt of western Nigeria. A mineral system approach was applied in this study to translate the characteristics of orogenic gold deposits into nine predictor maps, accounting for heat source, fluid pathway, trapping mechanisms, and favorable host rocks needed for the formation of such deposits. The ML algorithms considered in this research were artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF). Each of these predictive models were trained using nine predictor maps and 174 data points, consisting of known gold deposit and non-deposit points. The RF predictive model had the highest prediction efficiencies with Accuracy, AUC, and Kappa index values of 0.91, 0.96, and 0.83, respectively; the SVM model gave similar performance metrics such as accuracy (0.89), recall rate (0.88), F1 score (0.88), and Kappa index (0.77) as the ANN, but had a higher precision value (0.91) and lower AUC value (0.91) than the ANN (0.89 and 0.92, respectively). The results suggest that the three ML predictive models are suitable for orogenic gold prospectivity modeling in the study area. Further exploration for orogenic gold deposits in the Wawa area will likely be successful within the delineated high prospectivity zones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"231 ","pages":"Article 105791"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}