TITLE:
Geology, Palaeodeposition and the Involvement of Rhyolite Melts in the Petrogenesis of the Tabenken Coal Seam in the North West Region of Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Abimnui Norine Wendi, Njilah Isaac Konfor, Yongue Fouateu Rose, Mosere Felicia Nanje, Nfor Bruno Ndicho
KEYWORDS:
Tabenken, Palaeodepositional Environment, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Meta-Anthracite
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
20,
2022
ABSTRACT: The discovery of patches of a coal deposit and other associated
sedimentary and volcanic rocks in Tabenken North West Cameroon has raised the
question of the geology and palaeoenvironment of that area. This Region, which
is predominantly characterized by a
granitoid basement of Precambrian age is in most parts overlain by Cenozoic
basalts, hawaite, mugearite, trachyte and rhyolites. Volcanic outpours modified
the geomorphology of the area into a series of hills and valleys. We
investigated the geological setting in view of reconstituting the
palaeodepositional environment of the Tabenken Coal Seam. Field studies
show that the coal occurs in form of inclusions within sandstones, high grade
coal bed, massive beds exposed by landslides and in alkali rhyolites. The
results of Ultimate analyses of the coal indicate bituminous coal with 58% Carbon, sulfur content as low as 0.12% and ash
content of 17%. The occurrence of a well stratified dark volcanic ash bed in
the area is interpreted to be an interactive product of the explosive volcanic
activity and weathering. Field examination of the area suggests that it was a micro-continental
sedimentary palaeo-basin which was later infilled with Cenozoic volcanic
outpours which probably modified the chemistry of the coal to meta-anthracites.
The actual ages of the coal as well as the associated sedimentary units have not
been established, meanwhile, the volcanism started some 31 ma ago.