MOBILITY AND REDISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR ELEMENTS IN WEATHERED PROFILE DEVELOPED ON PEGMATITE AT KITIBI-IWOYE, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract
Geochemical studies of weathering profiles around Kitibi-Iwoye revealed redistribution of elements from parental pegmatite to the regolith. Geological mapping showed that the pegmatite intrudes diorite and migmatite gneiss. Weathered samples from B-horizon were air-dried, pulverised and analysed using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) in the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Weathering Index of Parker (WIP), Mass balance calculation and Al2O3 – CaO+Na2O – K2O (A–CN–K) ternary plot were employed to determine elemental mobility and distribution caused by weathering. SiO₂ (74.2 and 43.4 wt %), CaO (0.43 and 0.03 wt. %), Na2O (7.14 and 0.04 wt. %), K2O (1.90 and 0.67 wt. %), MnO (0.11 and 0.03 wt. %) and P2O5 (0.20 and 0.05wt. %) displayed depletion from parent rock to the regolith respectively. But Al₂O₃ (15.5 wt. % and 33.5 wt. %), Fe2O3 (0.39 and 3.40 wt. %), TiO2 (0.04 and 0.35 wt. %) and MgO (0.08 and 0.11 wt. %) showed enrichment from parent rock to the regolith respectively. Fe₂O₃ (3.19) is the most enriched whereas Na2O (-99.8), CaO (-98.9), P2O5 (-95.3), K2O (-89.5), SiO2 (-81.9), MgO (-73.1), MnO (-64.5) and Al2O3 (-23.6) are progressively depleted. Mean CIA value of 97.8 revealed that weathering has almost reached its completion whereas CIA of 62.1 for the pegmatite suggested that the parent rock is at incipient stage of weathering. Pegmatite had a WIP of 110.5 whereas the weathered samples with WIP ranging from 2.66, 3.88, 6.03, 6.23, 6.92, 8.08, 9.08, 9.76 and 14.6 respectively showed decreasing trend of weathering. This study confirmed contrasting behaviour of CIA and WIP. A-CN-K diagram suggested strongly weathered samples plotted at the apex of Al2O3 field whereas pegmatite plots along the A-CN line.