Journal of African Earth Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Petroleum accumulation and distribution mechanisms in the Sirt Basin, central-north of Libya","authors":"Khaled Albriki ,&nbsp;Wei GuoQi ,&nbsp;Wen Zhixin ,&nbsp;Feiyu Wang ,&nbsp;Rajab El Zaroug","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current study aims to understand the light petroleum phase distribution across 320 discovered fields within 147 blocks (onshore/offshore). Integrated basin data, including regional geology and organic geochemistry from over 7400 wells were used. Key major geological and geochemical elements, including reservoirs, source rocks, seal presence and characteristics, and petroleum generation and accumulation scenarios, were examined. The basin hosts an excellent reservoir system that varies from carbonates, clastic, and fractured basement. Reservoirs in the Sirt Basin generally ranges in age from Mesozoic to Cenozoic, with a burial depth ranging from 1600 to 2700 m. The basin contains high-quality to mature (postmature stage) Triassic, Cretaceous, and Paleocene source rocks, including from older to younger, the Mid Nubian shale, Etel, Rachmat, Sirte shale, Kalash, and Hagfa shale formations. These source rocks, which have marine, lacustrine, and terrestrial origins, are dominated by type B, C, and D/E organofacies that significantly influence the petroleum charge phase type and amount. The basin source rocks exhibit excellent potential for petroleum generation, with present-day average total organic carbon (TOC) values up to 4 % and average hydrogen index (HI) values up to 650 mg HC/g TOC with regionally defined moderate to high levels of transformation and expulsion efficiency (&gt;60 %). High-capacity sealing system composed primarily of thick shale and anhydrite lithofacies. These robust basin seals, combined with a densely faulted geological environment, create an excellent geological system for trapping the Meso-Cenozoic petroleum phase (oil and gas). Regional charge and accumulation scenario characterized by shallow (western and eastern troughs) to deep (central north) light-phase petroleum generation from various locations, followed by a successful early to late entrapment process. The distribution of the petroleum charge phase within the basin is structurally controlled by the presence of thick Cenozoic carbonate buildups, both onshore and offshore of the Sirt Basin. With the significant exploration and development activities, there remains promising petroleum potential for future opportunities in the Sirt Basin, particularly in deep onshore troughs (where light oil is the dominant phase) and deep to ultra-deep offshore plays (dominated by thermogenic gas phase).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 105994"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Petrogenesis and geochronology of the East Laouni mafic intrusion (Central Hoggar, Tuareg shield, Algeria): Constraints from mineralogical, geochemical, and zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic data","authors":"Ahmed El Amine Alouache ,&nbsp;Nacéra Remaci-Bénaouda ,&nbsp;Jean Yves Cottin","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The East Laouni mafic intrusion (ELMI) is an elliptical magmatic body outcropping in the Laouni terrane of the LATEA metacraton, Central Hoggar. It is composed of troctolite, olivine gabbro, anorthosite, and gabbronorite. This study presents integrated geochronological, petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical data to unravel the igneous processes that took place in the ELMI chamber. Uranium-lead isotopic analysis of zircons revealed an age of 633.3 ± 2.1 Ma, indicating that the ELMI crystallized at the beginning of the post-collisional stage of the Pan-African orogeny. The zircons also show a sub-chondritic ε_Hf(t) value (−5.44) with a crustal model age (Hf<span><math><mrow><msubsup><mi>T</mi><mtext>DM</mtext><mi>C</mi></msubsup></mrow></math></span>) of around 1.92 Ga, indicating significant contamination of the mantle parent magma by crustal material of Eburnian age (≈2 Ga). The troctolites are essentially adcumulates composed of plagioclase (An₆₄–An₇₄) showing shape-preferred orientation (SPO) and signs of adcumulate growth and olivine (Fo₇₆–Fo₇₉) that is sometimes corroded, accompanied by intercumulus clino- and orthopyroxene. In olivine gabbros, displaying meso-to orthocumulate textures, the SPO of plagioclases (An₅₆–An₇₀) is relatively weak. Olivine (Fo₇₀–Fo₇₅) is highly corroded, and its proportion decreases in favour of clinopyroxene, which acquires a predominantly cumulus status, while orthopyroxene often occurs in large poikilitic crystals. The morphological and mineralogical characteristics of the anorthositic bodies suggest an origin by partial replacement of gabbroic cumulates. The ELMI chamber underwent several episodes of replenishment/mixing, which are especially evident in olivine gabbros by: (i) non-cotectic proportions of mineral phases; (ii) plagioclase showing normal, inverse, and oscillatory zoning; and (iii) the coexistence in the same sample of two populations of plagioclase and clinopyroxene that are distinct in terms of texture and chemistry. Our petrographic and mineralogical data indicate that the effects of infiltration metasomatism and mechanical mixing are stronger in gabbroic cumulates than in troctolites. Troctolite and olivine gabbro cumulates show a very narrow Mg# range (71–81) governed mainly by mafic phases. Harker diagrams indicate that the parent magma underwent increased olivine fractionation in a deep-seated magma chamber between episodes of replenishment. The parallelism of the REE patterns reflects the cogenetic nature of the studied cumulates, although the troctolites show a more fractionated pattern than the olivine gabbros (La_N/Yb_N = 2.71–8.3 and 0.89–1.76, respectively). The positive Eu anomaly is ubiquitous (Eu/Eu∗ = 1.15–4.7), reflecting the accumulation of plagioclase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 105995"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Petrogenesis and tectonometamorphic evolution of basement rocks in Kolme, Konso, southern Ethiopia: geological and geochemical constraints","authors":"Asmamaw Hangibayna Kussita ,&nbsp;Habtamu Wondem ,&nbsp;Muluken Fanta ,&nbsp;Gosaye Berhanu ,&nbsp;Talema Moged Reda","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Precambrian basement rocks of southern Ethiopia are part of the Neoproterozoic East African Orogen, a significant tectonic belt formed during the Pan-African orogeny. The high-grade metamorphic basement in Konso, southern Ethiopia, has not yet been thoroughly examined through geochemical studies. To elucidate the petrogenesis and tectonometamorphic evolution of the Kolme–Konso basement rocks, we conducted integrated fieldwork, petrographic analyses, and major and trace element geochemistry. Detailed field mapping at a 1:50,000 scale in the Konso region identifies hornblende gneiss, granitic gneiss, and metagranite as the predominant rock types, intruded by pegmatitic bodies. Petrographic analysis reveals mineral assemblages comprising quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, and hornblende, with microstructural evidence of overprinting by both prograde and retrograde metamorphism. Structural data document five phases of deformation (D1–D5), including penetrative foliations, folding, and shearing, all developed under amphibolite-facies conditions. Whole-rock geochemical signatures indicate igneous protoliths, with calc-alkaline affinities for the granitic rocks and transitional affinities for the mafic rocks. The granitic rocks correspond to I- and A-type granitoids, suggesting arc-related magmatism within an island-arc to continental-arc setting. In contrast, the mafic rocks exhibit trace and rare-earth element patterns consistent with derivation from a depleted mantle source, modified by subduction-related metasomatism and limited crustal assimilation. These findings underscore the polyphase tectonometamorphic evolution of the Konso basement and offer new insights into the role of southern Ethiopia within the geodynamic framework of the East African Orogen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105989"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cloud-based soil salinity mapping using remote sensing and machine learning approaches","authors":"S. Raja Ranganathan ,&nbsp;Nada Alzaben ,&nbsp;Abdulaziz G. Alghamdi ,&nbsp;Hatim Dafaalla","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.105993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinity is a prevalent environmental issue, especially in coastal environments, which exacerbate the conditions favouring salt accumulation in the root zone (saline intrusion, poor drainage, and evapotranspiration). The study focused to create a robust, cloud-based method for mapping soil salinity using remote sensing data and more sophisticated machine learning approaches. Remote imagery from Sentinel-2 was used to generate spectral indices, while topographic variables were derived from DEM products within Google Earth Engine. Two ensemble learning models were created: Random Forest (RF) and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), to determine soil electrical conductivity (EC) based on the environmental variables above. The two models were evaluated with calibration, validation and cross-validation tests. The RF produced the best results with R² values of 0.81, 0.68, 0.59 and RMSE of 14.8, 18.45 and 20.15 dS m⁻¹ for the data splits. The LightGBM produced R² values of 0.73, 0.65, 0.56 and RMSE values of 18.9, 18.75 and 20.25 dS m⁻¹, reflecting lower predictive accuracy compared to other models, yet still within an acceptable range. The relative performance index of quantification (RPIQ) confirmed the improved predictability of RF. The results confirm the feasibility of cloud-computing capabilities and satellite-based environmental characteristics with machine learning to assess and monitor soil salinity in dynamic coastal environments. The method also provides land managers and policy makers with a scalable option to assess salinity risk to assist with sustainable agricultural practices in regions affected by salt.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 105993"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative palynological and petrographic analysis of the Permo-Carboniferous deposits in the October Field, Gulf of Suez, Egypt","authors":"Ahmed Maher","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Nubia Sandstone in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, represents unclassified, extensive Paleozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary deposits that lack discernible fossils, complicating their geological interpretation. Forty-nine subsurface well samples from the OCT-K-1 and the OCT-G.5 wells in the October Field, Gulf of Suez, were palynologically analyzed to examine Permian microflora, which hitherto has not been recorded in the region. Palynological investigation yielded 92 species of spores with affinities to lycopsids, ferns, and Equisetidae representing 50 genera, 75 species of gymnosperm pollen with affinities to conifers and cycads of 49 genera, and 53 species of microphytoplankton and fungi. Petrographic and palynofacies analyses suggest that the sediments were deposited in a mixed terrestrial and marine environment. These depositional environments preserved charcoal, coal macerals, a fossil resin, abundant mineralized large-sized plant remains, and pyrite framboids. This study successfully differentiates the Nubia Sandstone in the October Field, which is crucial for hydrocarbon exploration in the Gulf of Suez.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"236 ","pages":"Article 105983"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping landslide susceptibility in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia, using geospatial techniques and multi-criteria decision-making analysis","authors":"Selemon Thomas Fakana ,&nbsp;Fekadu Fanjana Falta ,&nbsp;Megegn Mada Mano ,&nbsp;Elias Bojago ,&nbsp;Mekonen Shibru Gebremariam ,&nbsp;Mathewos Markos Fakana","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landslides are among the most destructive geo-environmental hazards, posing significant risks to lives, infrastructure, and livelihoods. This study aims to assess and map landslide susceptibility in the Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia, using an integrated geospatial and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. The input datasets were obtained from various sources, including USGS Earth Explorer, NASA POWER, and World Geologic Maps, and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.8.2 software. A total of fourteen causative factors were selected based on expert knowledge, literature review, and data availability, and categorized into five domains: topographical, hydrological, geological, anthropogenic, and environmental. Each factor was standardized and weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), ensuring consistency in judgment and reflecting relative influence on landslide occurrences. Results revealed that approximately 1.27 km² (0.04 %), 426.9 km² (9.78 %), 2731.43 km² (62.6 %), and 1203.53 km² (27.58 %) of the study region are highly susceptible, susceptible, moderately susceptible, and less susceptible, respectively. Areas with steep slopes, high rainfall, sparse vegetation, proximity to streams, and certain lithological formations were more susceptible to landslides. Validation using expert field observation at landslide locations and consistency ratios confirmed the reliability of the model. This susceptibility map provides crucial spatial information for planners, disaster risk managers, and policymakers to prioritize areas for intervention, early warning systems, and land-use regulation. The methodology also serves as a replicable framework for landslide risk assessment in other data-scarce and hazard-prone regions. This study presents a flexible, cost-effective, and scientifically robust framework for landslide risk mapping that can be applied regionally, particularly in data-scarce and hazard-prone areas. It advances local disaster risk reduction and mitigation, climate resilience, and sustainable land-use planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105991"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping seismic hazard in Sudan: Characterizing epistemic uncertainty in a data-scarce environment","authors":"Mohamed Ezzelarab ,&nbsp;Khalda Yassin Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Sawsan Marouf ,&nbsp;Abouela A. Mohamed","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Characterizing seismic hazard in data-scarce environments like Sudan is a challenge dominated by large epistemic uncertainties. This study directly addresses this challenge by developing a comprehensive Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) whose primary objective is to produce national-scale hazard maps while explicitly quantifying the associated uncertainties. A robust logic tree framework was designed to systematically explore the full spectrum of scientific uncertainty stemming from a limited evidence base. This framework incorporates credible alternatives for seismic source characterization, maximum magnitude (Mmax), and, most critically, a suite of four modern Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) to substitute for the lack of local data. The results are presented not as a single outcome, but as a distribution of hazard levels for Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and Spectral Acceleration (SA (0.2s)). While the mean hazard maps identify the Red Sea coast as the most seismically active region, a central finding is the quantitative characterization of the uncertainty itself. The substantial spread between the 16th and 84th percentile hazard levels transparently communicate the degree of confidence in the estimates. This study's principal contribution is therefore twofold: it provides the modern, scientifically defensible seismic hazard maps for Sudan, and it offers a robust characterization of their inherent uncertainty, a critical element for risk-informed engineering design and policy-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105990"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating hydrogeochemical analysis and machine learning to assess surface–groundwater interactions in an arid basin (Middle Egypt)","authors":"Ahmed A. Abdelhady ,&nbsp;Mamdouh S. Morsi ,&nbsp;Nouria E.A. Aboshaala ,&nbsp;Mahmoud M. Khalil ,&nbsp;Hadi M. Elshourbagi ,&nbsp;Esam Ismail ,&nbsp;Esam El Sayed ,&nbsp;Ashraf M.T. Elewa ,&nbsp;Emad Youssef ,&nbsp;Basma A.A. Balboul","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding surface–groundwater interactions is essential for sustainable water resource management in arid regions, where water scarcity and water quality degradation pose critical challenges. This study explored the hydrochemical characteristics, dominant controlling processes, and linkages between surface water and groundwater in the arid Middle Egypt basin. Hydrochemical facies and major physicochemical parameters were compared for both water types, supported by multivariate statistics (principal component analysis and PERMANOVA) and machine-learning approaches (Random Forest and a hybrid K-nearest neighbor model). Results revealed distinct hydrochemical signatures, with surface waters characterized mainly by bicarbonate facies and groundwater exhibiting more mineralized sodium chloride and calcium chloride facies. Hydrochemical patterns suggest that surface water chemistry is influenced by evaporative concentration, whereas groundwater composition reflects mineral dissolution and cation exchange; however, these process interpretations are considered first-order and indicative rather than diagnostic. Random Forest analysis identified total cations, total anions, and electrical conductivity as the most important variables discriminating between surface water and groundwater. The hybrid KNN model indicated that surface water chemistry alone provided the strongest basis for predicting groundwater composition, with relatively high performance for Na, Cl, and Mg (R² = 0.71–0.84) but weak performance for hardness and sulfate. Chemical similarity showed no systematic distance-decay relationship, and spatial proximity was not a primary control on surface–groundwater chemical relationships. These findings highlight contrasting hydrogeochemical controls on surface water and groundwater in the Nile Valley and demonstrate the value of integrating hydrochemical analysis with machine-learning tools for improving understanding of surface–groundwater interactions in arid environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105988"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Erratum to “Mesozoic Pb-Zn hydrothermal veins in the Jebilet, Morocco: Constraints from mineralogy, fluid inclusions and stable isotope data” [J. Afr. Earth Sci. 234 (2026) 105940]","authors":"Samira Essarraj ,&nbsp;Félix Nshimiyimana ,&nbsp;Mohamed Hibti ,&nbsp;Philippe Boulvais ,&nbsp;Michel Cathelineau","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105987","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105987"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative water quality assessment and Geostatistical Analysis of mining-impacted groundwater: A multi-parameter evaluation","authors":"Johnson Ayomide Ibukun ,&nbsp;Ayomide Emmanuel Olubaju ,&nbsp;Titilope Christianah Sakeye ,&nbsp;Samson Favour Thomas ,&nbsp;Sehinde Ayoola Akinbiola ,&nbsp;Rabi Elabor ,&nbsp;Olayinka Oshikoya","doi":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water quality in artisanal gold mining regions is severely threatened by a complex mixture of contaminants, yet comprehensive assessments integrating regulatory compliance, source apportionment, and spatial distribution are scarce. This study addresses this gap through an integrative assessment of groundwater in Itagunmodi, Nigeria, employing a standard framework that combines multi-parameter water quality indices (WAWQI, CCME-WQI), statistical hypothesis testing with Cohen's d effect sizes, Pearson correlation analysis, and Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) geostatistics. Fifteen groundwater samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters, heavy metals, and ions against WHO, NSDWQ, and BIS standards. Hypothesis testing revealed significant (p &lt; 0.05) exceedances of permissible limits for Lead (Pb) (100 % of samples, Cohen's d = 4.05), Cadmium (Cd) (67 %, d = 0.82), and Arsenic (As) (80 %, d = 1.25), classifying overall water quality as ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’. Correlation analysis unveiled significant (p &lt; 0.05) synergistic interactions, most notably between Mercury and Cyanide (r = 0.784, p = 0.0005), indicating joint mobilization from mining activities, and between Total Hardness and Magnesium (r = 0.934, p &lt; 0.001), revealing dolomite dissolution as a key geochemical process. EBK modeling delineated distinct spatial hotspots for individual contaminants, with Pb concentrated in the southwestern zone and As and Hg in the northeast, providing a critical evidence-based map for targeted remediation. The findings demonstrate a severe public health crisis and highlight the inadequacy of lenient regulatory standards. Beyond the local context, this study establishes a replicable, advanced methodology for pollution assessment in mining regions globally, underscoring the necessity of combining multi-index evaluation with geospatial and statistical rigor for sustainable water resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14874,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Earth Sciences","volume":"235 ","pages":"Article 105986"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}