Sedimentological and geochemical evaluation of sandstones of the Ilaro formation, Dahomey Basin, Southwestern Nigeria : Insights into paleoenvironments, provenance, and tectonic settings

Grain size analysis, geochemistry, and petrography of sandstones of the Ilaro Formation exposed at the Ajegunle area were investigated to infer provenance, transportation history, tectonic setting, paleoenvironment, and degree of palaeoweathering of the sediments. Selected sandstones were analyzed, and the major, trace, and rare earth elements were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from the granulometric analysis showed that sandstones were deposited in fluvial conditions. The sandstones exhibit a coarse-grained texture, displaying poor sorting and being texturally immature. The petrographic analysis indicated that quartz was predominant, whereas opaque minerals, muscovite, and ferruginous ground mass were present in smaller quantities. The sandstones can be geochemically classified as arkose and subarenite. The sandstones have an average composition of SiO2 (82.87%) and Al2O3 (9.49%), while K2O, Na2O, MgO, CaO, and P2O5 have <1% each. The elevated Al2O3 content is associated with the lithic fragment composition, whereas the low concentrations of MgO (mean 0.03%), Na2O (mean 0.008%), and K2O (mean 0.04%) suggest chemical destruction in an oxidizing environment. The angularity of the grains indicated a short transportation history very close to the provenance. Bivariate and discriminant plots from major elements and trace elements suggest the sandstones were non-marine and sourced from intermediate rocks. The sandstones were deposited in an oxic-dyoxic condition under a humid climate and passive or active continental margins. The average values of the weathering indices indicate an intense degree of chemical weathering.