Assessment of Groundwater Quality for Domestic and Irrigation Purposes in Northern Bamenda (Cameroon)

Safe and reliable drinking water availability constitutes a nightmare in many towns of developing countries and is usually appreciated from its physical appearance without prior knowledge of its chemical and biological properties. This study investigates the suitability of groundwater for domestic and irrigational purposes through physico-chemical and bacteriological analyses in the Northern part of Bamenda Town (Cameroon). Thus, 20 groundwater samples were collected from hand-dug wells and spring sources in September 2018 (rainy season) and February 2019 (dry season) and physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics were determined. The results revealed that pH ranged from 5.5 to 6.6, thus enabling the classification of the water as slightly acidic. Electrical conductivity varied between 0.01 - 0.06 μS/cm. The relative abundance of ions was such that Ca2+ > K+ > Mg2+ > Na+ for cations and HCO-3 > Cl- > NO-3 > SO-4 for anions. The water types were Ca-Mg-NO3 in both dry and rainy seasons. The results revealed that the mechanisms controlling groundwater chemistry are rock weathering and atmospheric precipitation. Indicator bacteria such as E. coli, Shigella, Enterobacteria, Vibrio, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus were detected in the studied groundwater samples, thus the water sources may pose a threat to public health.

Petrochemical Characterization of Two Distinct Types of Dolerites from Bafoussam Area, West Cameroon

Two petrochemical types of doleritic dykes have been distinguished in Bafoussam area: 1) the olivine-bearing dolerites which are the most representative are dark green, showing characteristics of alkaline basalts and, 2) the calcite-bearing dolerites are grayish green, showing characteristics of tholeiitic basalts. The studied dolerites are less differentiated (1 FeOt/MgO 2);they present the evolution of a subalkaline magma following a calc-alkaline series (alkaline dolerites) and the tholeiitic series (tholeitiic dolerite). The chondrite normalized multielement spider diagrams of all the dolerites show a pronounced depletion in Ba, Th, and enrichment in Rb. Their geotectonic context is inferred to be intraplate and the contrast between the two types is probably due to a diverse source: crustal source for calcite-bearing dolerites and mantle source for olivine-bearing dolerites.

Petrogenesis, LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology and geodynamic implications of the Kribi metavolcanic rocks,Nyong Group, Congo craton

Metavolcanic rocks are well-exposed in the Kribi area within the Nyong Group, Congo craton, but their origin, age, and tectonic significance are poorly known.Here we report integrated field mapping and petrography,geochemistry, and LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages of these metavolcanic rocks to constrain their petrogenesis and geodynamic implications. The studied rocks consist of mafic granulite, garnet-amphibole gneiss, and garnet-biotite gneiss, and occur interbanded with sharp contact and intruded by syenite dyke. These metavolcanic rocks are classified as MORB-like tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts,basaltic andesite, and rhyodacite rocks with within-plate setting geochemical signatures. The metabasite rocks(basalt to basaltic andesite protolith) are likely the equivalent of a spinel peridotite product representing ~ 2–5 %partial melting of metasomatized mantle source, while the metarhyodacite rocks are derived from the fractional crystallization of the same parental magma. Zircon U-Pb data revealed that the rhyodacite rocks initially formed at2671 ± 51 Ma and underwent later metamorphism at2065 ± 55 Ma. The Neoarchean protolith age is comparable to the ca. 2628 Ma tholeiitic magmatism and ca.2666 Ma high-K granites, suggesting bimodal Neoarchean magmatic event within the Ntem Complex, while the metamorphic ages fall within the ca. 2100–2000 Ma highgrade tectono-metamorphic event attributed to Eburnean/Trans-Amazonian orogeny. At the regional scale,metavolcanic rocks with similar origins and ages are documented in the Sa o Francisco Craton in Brazil, suggesting comparable geodynamic evolution on both sides of the south Atlantic during the Paleoproterozoic.

Geochemistry and zircon U–Pb ages of the Paleoproterozoic ultramafic rocks of the Mbi Valley, Boali area, Central African Republic

This paper investigates the geochemistry of bulk rock and infers the petrogenesis of ultramafic rocks in the Boali Precambrian terrane in Mbi Valley,in the North of the Central African Republic(CAR).The studied rocks comprise coarse primary olivine and orthopyroxene relics(dominant phase),magnesio-hornblende,magnetite,and antigorite.Whole-rock analysis indicates low SiO_(2)(average of 43.14 wt%)and high MgO(19.84–26.98 wt%)contents and their Mg number(Mg#)ranges from 74 to 82.TheydisplayhighNi(526–865 ppm),Cr(1500–3680 ppm)contents.AFM(Na_(2)O-K_(2)O)-FeO-MgO)and ACM(Al_(2)O_(3)-CaO-MgO)ternary diagrams have revealed that the studied samples correspond to arc-related ultramafic cumulates.Chondrite-normalized REE plots display an increasing trend from La to Sm(CeN/SmN:0.74–1.81),weak negative to no Eu(Eu/Eu*=0.72–1.05)and strong negative Ce(Ce/Ce*=0.33–0.98)anomalies.Primitive mantle normalized of multi-element diagrams exhibit LREE enrichment and large ion lithophile elements(LILE)relative to high field strength elements(HFSE),and notable negative anomalies in Nb.This suggests the generation of the parent melt by slab dehydration and wedge melting processes.In addition,incompatible trace element composition and ratios assumed that the source magma had an enhanced mantle source associated with a prominent influence of continental crust.Metasomatism of mantle wedge by plate-dehydrated,LILE-rich fluids and the incorporation of sediments derived from subduction explain the enhancement of the source.Integrated major and trace element compositions jointly with the tectonic reconstruction of this region and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb data on zircon constrain the emplacement age at ca.2099 Ma in a continental margin arc setting involving subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the continental lithosphere,dehydration of the slab and mantle wedge melting.This result intimate that the remnants of Paleoproterozoic oceanic crust or subduction event and subsequent basins closure extended from the Congo craton in Cameroon to CAR and NE Brazil.