Geostatistical and radiogenic heat evaluation of aeroradiometric data of parts of the Upper Benue Trough, Nigeria: implications for geothermal hotspot delineation and sustainable power generation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2281-4485/24210Keywords:
Aeroradiometric data, Geostatistical analysis, Radiogenic heat production, Geothermal energy, Power generation, Upper Benue TroughAbstract
Aeroradiometric data covering parts of the Upper Benue Trough, Nigeria, were processed and interpreted to evaluate the geostatistical characteristics of radioelements and their associated radiogenic heat production for geothermal energy assessment. The study area, encompassing Yuli, Futuk, Kaltungo, Guyok, Shellen, Bashar, Muri, Lau, Dong, and Numan, lies between latitudes 9.0°–10.0°N and longitudes 10.0°–12.5°E, covering approximately 30,250 km². High-resolution airborne radiometric datasets were processed using Oasis Montaj 8.4 software, and Total Count (TC), Uranium (U), Thorium (Th), Potassium (K), and ternary maps were generated through minimum curvature gridding. Geostatistical analysis was applied to quantify the spatial distribution of radioelements using statistical parameters such as mean, standard deviation, mode, median, skewness, kurtosis, and threshold values. The computed threshold values are 4.286 ppm (U), 21.987 ppm (Th), 3.254% (K), and 3187.5 cpt (TC). Areas exceeding these thresholds were considered anomalous and indicative of enhanced radiogenic contributions. Radiogenic heat production was estimated from U, Th, and K concentrations, yielding values ranging from 1.234 to 2.318 μWm⁻³, with the highest values concentrated around the Dong and Lau areas. Ternary analysis further reveals high concentrations of the three radioelements (HC3R) predominantly within Dong and Kaltungo regions, suggesting the influence of acidic igneous intrusions. The coincidence of high radiogenic heat values with geostatistically anomalous zones highlights Dong and Lau as prospective geothermal hotspots. These findings demonstrate that the integration of geostatistical analysis and radiogenic heat evaluation provides a robust framework for geothermal resource assessment and sustainable power generation planning in the Upper Benue Trough.
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