Geophysical Models for the Cu-Dominated VHMS Mineralization in Katta District, Western Ethiopia

Volcanic hosted massive sulfides (VHMS) have been recognized for many years within the Arabian–Nubian Shield of western Ethiopia. The Shield is a collision belt formed when East and West Gondwana collided during the Neoproterozoic time. It covers NE Africa and the Middle East and is known to have hosted several economic mineral deposits. Situated within the Shield, the Katta VHMS mineralization is primarily made up of chalcopyrite, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and magnetite. These minerals are known to have contrasting values in resistivity, chargeability, and magnetic susceptibility with the enclosing host rocks. These physical attributes make resistivity, IP, and magnetic methods ideal to study and detect the mineralization and possibly delineate the ore body. Dipole–dipole DC resistivity and induced polarization data collected along parallel profiles are inverted to generate both 2D and 3D models of resistivity and chargeability. The chargeability model successfully delineates the zone of sulfide mineralization and the resistivity model gives information on the stratigraphic horizons and the structures. Magnetic data collected along more closely spaced profiles were also inverted to recover the 3D magnetic susceptibility model. The recovered model shows a linear magnetic anomaly that could be associated with the sulfides. This anomaly shows good spatial continuity and is in good agreement with the result obtained in the chargeability model. The geophysical inversion results indicate a NNW oriented mineralized zone of considerable strike length and extending to a depth of about 380 m. This study suggests the presence of exploitable VHMS presence in Katta district and that the inversion methodology is an important interpretation tool in guiding the exploration and exploitation of sulfide mineralization.     

The Ethiopian basement: Stratigraphy and possible manner of evolution

In the Ethiopian Precambrian three complexes are recognized. The Lower Complex formed of high grade gneisses represents older (older than 2500 m. y.) cratonic basement. The Middle Complex (clastic metasediments) is presumably the Lower to Middle Proterozoic platform cover. The Upper Complex consists of low-grade rocks in following succession: ophiolitic rocks, andesitic metavolcanics and associated metasediments, clastic and to less extent carbonate sediments. Rifting of older basement at the beginning of Upper Proterozoic created northeasterly trending zones with oceanic crust branching from the Red Sea fold belt and grading southwards (in the Mozambique belt) into the zones of continental rifting. Closing of these rift zones terminated 1000 m. y. ago and was accompanied by subduction of oceanic crust which gave rise to island arc type volcanism. Continental collision resulted in crustal thickening and produced two stages of metamorphism: metamorphism of collision (around 1000 m. y. or earlier) and metamorphism of radioactive heating (younger than 1000 or 800 m. y.). The collision was oblique, so the significant transcurrent motion occurred in the Red Sea and the Mozambique belts.

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Zusammenfassung Im Präkambrium Äthiopiens lassen sich drei Einheiten unterscheiden. Die unterste Einheit, bestehend aus hochgradig metamorphen Gneisen, ist ein älterer (älter als 2,5 Mrd. Jahre) kratonischer Sockel. Der mittlere Komplex (klastische Metasedimente) stellt wahrscheinlich die altbis mittelproterozoische Plattform-Sedimentbedeckung dar. Die obere Einheit besteht aus niedrigmetamorphen Gesteinen: Ophiolithe, andesitische Metavulkanite und damit verbundene Metasedimente, sowie klastische und untergeordnet karbonatische Ablagerungen. Das Auseinanderreißen des älteren Sockels zu Beginn des Jungproterozoikums bewirkte in nordöstliche Richtung verlaufende Zonen mit ozeanischer Kruste, die vom Faltengürtel des Roten Meeres abbiegen und sich südwärts (zum Mozambique-Gürtel hin) in das kontinentale Riftsystem eingliedern. Dei Abschluß dieser Riftsysteme endete vor 1 Mrd. Jahren, begleitet von einer Subduktion ozeanischer Kruste, die mit Vulkanismus vom Typ der Inselbögen verbunden war. Die Kollision kontinentaler Platten verursachte Krustenverdickungen und erzeugte zwei Stadien der Metamorphose: Kollisions-Metamorphose (vor ca. 1 Mrd. Jahren oder früher) und Metamorphose durch radioaktive Aufheizung (jünger als 1 oder 0,8 Mrd. Jahre). Die Kollision verlief schräg, so daß die signifikanten Querbewegungen im Roten-Meerund Mozambique-Gürtel erfolgten.

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Résumé On peut reconnaître trois complexes dans le Précambrien de l'Ethiopie. Le complexe inférieur, formé de gneiss de degré de métamorphisme élevé, représente le socle cratonique le plus ancien (plus vieux que 2500 M.). Le complexe moyen (des métasédiments détritiques) est présumé être une couverture de plateforme du Protérozoïque inférieur à moyen. Le complexe supérieur consiste en roches peu métamorphiques se succédant comme suit: roches ophiolithiques, métavolcanites andésitiques avec sédiments associés, sédiments clastiques et en moindre proportion des sédiments carbonatés. La fracturation du vieux socle au debut du Protérozoïque supérieur créa des zones d'effondrement de direction nord-est, avec croûte océanique, branchées sur la ceinture plissé de la Mer Rouge, et passant vers le sud (dans la ceinture du Mozambique) à une zone de fracturation continentale. La fermeture de cette zone d'affaissement se termina il y a quelque 1000 M., et fut accompagnée par une subduction de la croûte océanique qui donna naissance à un volcanisme du type guirlande insulaire. La collision continentale entraîna un épaississement crustal et produisit deux phases de métamorphisme: métamorphisme de collision (environ 1000 M. ou plus tôt) et métamorphisme par réchauffement radioactif (plus récent que 1000 M. ou 800 M.). La collision se fit obliquement, produisant ainsi un mouvement transcurrent important dans les ceintures de la Mer Rouge et du Mozambique.

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3D joint inversion of Gradient and Mise-à-la-Masse borehole IP/Resistivity data and its application to magmatic sulfide mineral deposit exploration

Gradient and Mise-à-la-Masse IP/Resistivity surveys were conducted on a group of 19 boreholes in Eagle’s Nest, Eagle One magmatic sulfide deposit in northern Ontario, Canada. The surveys were conducted as a follow-up to the many drilled boreholes, some of which missed the target. The surveys were intended to map the distribution of the ore mineralization, outline the deposit hosted by mafic and ultramafic rocks and then guide the drilling of new boreholes. Joint Gradient and Mise-à-la-Masse data inversion produced 3D chargeability and conductivity models. The inverted 3D models in turn help delineate the outline of the mineralized zone, and determine the shape, size, strength and economic viability of the deposit. The Gradient array determined the direction of the mineralization with respect to the boreholes, and the Mise-à-la-Masse array examined the highly conductive subsurface bodies and their surroundings. The mapped ore zone shows close similarity to the 0.5 Cu% and 1.05 Ni% iso-surfaces that are produced from core assay result confirming the reliability of the results obtained in this study.     

Modeling discharge and sediment concentrations after landscape interventions in a humid monsoon climate: The Anjeni watershed in the highlands of Ethiopia

Increasing population and intensification of agriculture increase erosion rates and often result in severe land degradation and sedimentation of reservoirs. Finding effective management practices to counteract the increasing sediment load is becoming increasingly urgent especially in the Ethiopian highlands where the construction of the hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile is underway. In this paper, we examine the results of 9 years of a watershed experiment in which discharge and sediment losses were observed in the 113 ha Anjeni watershed of the Blue Nile Basin. The study period encompasses conditions before, during, and after the installation of graded Fanya‐Juu (“throw uphill” bunds) soil and water conservation practices (SWCP), which had the ultimate goal of creating terraces. We use a saturation‐excess runoff model named the parameter‐efficient distributed model as a mathematical construct to relate rainfall with discharge and sediment losses at the outlet. The parameter‐efficient distributed model is based on landscape units in which the excess rainfall becomes direct runoff or infiltrates based on topographic position or hardpan characteristics. Deviations in this rainfall–discharge–sediment loss relationship are ascribed to the changes in infiltration characteristics caused by SWCPs on the hillslopes. With this technique, we found that in the Anjeni basin, the Fanya‐Juu SWCPs are only effective in increasing the infiltration and thereby reducing the direct runoff and sediment concentrations in the first 5 years. At the end of the 9‐year observation period, the direct runoff and sediment concentrations were barely reduced compared to the levels before SWCP were installed. In addition, we found that the model structure based on landscape units was able to represent the varying runoff and erosion processes during the 9 years well by varying mainly the portion of degraded land (and thereby representing the effectiveness of the Fanya‐Juu to reduce runoff by increasing infiltration).     

Improving watershed management practices in humid regions

In many parts of the world, watershed management practices have been extremely effective. However, implementation of soil and water conservation technologies in the humid African highlands, while beneficial in the short term, were remarkably unsuccessful in the long term. Insights from community knowledge perspectives have revealed that alternative methods are needed. Although conservation practices are designed to conserve water in semi‐arid areas, safely draining excess water is needed in humid areas. The objective of this paper is to review current watershed management approaches used in humid regions as exemplified by those used in Ethiopian highlands and then based on these findings propose more effective practices. Although current government sponsored practices primarily protect the hillsides, direct run‐off is generated from areas that become saturated on valley bottoms near rivers and on specific parts of the hillsides with degraded soils (or with highly permeable surface soils) and with perched water tables on slowly permeable horizons at shallow depths. In these areas, direct run‐off is increasing with deforestation and the soil degradation, demanding additional drainage ways that evolve in the form of gullies. Therefore, watershed management interventions for erosion control should prioritize revegetation of degraded areas, increasing sustainable infiltration, and rehabilitating gullies situated at saturated bottomlands.     

Establishing irrigation potential of a hillside aquifer in the African highlands

Feeding 9 billion people in 2050 will require sustainable development of all water resources, both surface and subsurface. Yet, little is known about the irrigation potential of hillside shallow aquifers in many highland settings in sub-Saharan Africa that are being considered for providing irrigation water during the dry monsoon phase for smallholder farmers. Information on the shallow groundwater being available in space and time on sloping lands might aid in increasing food production in the dry monsoon phase. Therefore, the research objective of this work is to estimate potential groundwater storage as a potential source of irrigation water for hillside aquifers where lateral subsurface flow is dominant. The research was carried out in the Robit Bata experimental watershed in the Lake Tana basin which is typical of many undulating watersheds in the Ethiopian highlands. Farmers have excavated more than 300 hand dug wells for irrigation. We used 42 of these wells to monitor water table fluctuation from April 16, 2014 to December 2015. Precipitation and runoff data were recorded for the same period. The temporal groundwater storage was estimated using two methods: one based on the water balance with rainfall as input and baseflow and evaporative losses leaving the watershed as outputs; the second based on the observed rise and fall of water levels in wells. We found that maximum groundwater storage was at the end of the rain phase in September after which it decreased linearly until the middle of December due to short groundwater retention times. In the remaining part of the dry season period, only wells located close to faults contained water. Thus, without additional water sources, sloping lands can only be used for significant irrigation inputs during the first 3 months out of the 8 months long dry season.     

Managing crop stubble during fallow period for soil water conservation: field experiment and modelling

In the arid and semi-arid environments where the rainfall is limited and variable, fallow period soil moisture conservation using stubble is one of the ways of increasing the soil moisture required for crop sowing and development. However, the effectiveness of moisture conservation using stubble depends on the paddock management, soil water content, and rainfall characteristics. To assess the effect of stubble rate and amount of rainfall on the soil moisture conservation, a two-season field experiment was conducted using four stubble rates (0, 2, 4, 6 t/ha) and two water supply amounts. The soil water dynamics was also analysed using a validated Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM). In the relatively wet summer season with a high initial soil water content, the amount of water stored in the 2, 4, and 6 t/ha stubble rate treatment plots was higher than that of the bare plots by 10.4, 15.9, and 17.8 mm, respectively. However, in the summer season with a relatively high amount of in-season water input and low initial soil water content, the soil water storage was increased by 29.4, 35.6, and 43.0 mm, respectively. Comparing the results of the two seasons, the highest increase was observed for the 2 t/ha stubble rate. The amount of conserved soil moisture was found to be the highest when the soil profile water content at the start of the summer-fallow period is low and the amount of rain during the summer season is high. The good agreement between the measured and APSIM-simulated soil water contents (R ² = 0.812), indicates that the model can be used to assess the soil water dynamics under a fallow condition. The APSIM-simulated soil water balance using the weather data of the past 100 years indicated that in a year with low start-of-fallow period soil water content, a 6 t/ha stubble rate can increase the end-of-fallow period soil moisture by up to 60 %.