GEOLOGY AND MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PROPERTIES OF IPOLE LITHOLOGIES IN EXPLORING FOR DIAMONDIFEROUS KIMBERLITE IN IPOLE SIKONGE DISTRICT, TABORA REGION

ABSTRACT This project report is the result of the work done at Ipole area, Sikonge District from July to September 2008. The main objectives of this project was to identify the rock types present at Ipole area using rock magnetic properties and to determine the presence of Diamondiferous Kimberlite in Ipole lithologies.The following methods were used to accomplish the task; Heavy Mineral Sampling in Streams sediments, Loam and Auger sampling, Airborne magnetic survey, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/Bathymetric Surveys and Drilling (percussion drilling). The study of drilling logs and Magnetic Susceptibility reveal the presence of ferricrete, calcrete, sands, micaceous granite, pink granite, rhyolite, diorite, granodiorite, gabbro and basalt. This study did not find any indicator minerals for Kimberlite such as picroilmenite (Mg rich), pyrope garnet, chromediopside and diamond which when found indicate high proximity to the source, however Ipole appears to be sited within areas of drainage and transported soil covers, which possibly reflecting zones of preferential weathering and may be consistent with possible Kimberlite positions. Radiometric map shows outcropping granite. The relationship between radiometric signature and Kimberlite mineralization indicate that Kimberlites often present at the surface as ground depressions. (Yellow-white pixels in the ternary image reflect high radioelement concentration.) Ipole area is still a highly prospective area with regard to Kimberlite exploration because exploration has not been adequately carried out in areas under overburden. viiTable of ContentsCERTIFICATION .............................................................................................................................................. iiDECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT .................................................................................................................. iiiACKNOWLEDGMENT .................................................................................................................................... ivDEDICATION .................................................................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................................... viList of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.............................................................................................................................. xiCHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 REGIONAL GEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 LOCAL GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 2 1.3 GEOLOGY OF THE AREA ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................... 3 1.4.1 Magnetic susceptibility ................................................................................................................ 3 1.4.2 Diamondiferous Kimberlite ......................................................................................................... 8 1.4.3 Indicator minerals as a tool for diamond exploration .................................................................. 9 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................ 102.0 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................... 102.1 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM .................................................................................................. 10CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................................... 11MATERIAL AND METHODS .......................................................................................................................... 113.0 MATERIALS ........................................................................................................................................ 11 viii3.1 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 113.1.1 Heavy Mineral Sampling ............................................................................................................ 113.1.2 Geophysics ................................................................................................................................. 143.1.3 Airborne magnetic survey .......................................................................................................... 153.1.4 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) ...................................................................................... 203.1.5 Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/Bathymetric Surveys ............................................................ 213.1.6 Drilling ....................................................................................................................................... 21CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................................... 23RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.......................................................................................................................... 234.0 RESULTS............................................................................................................................................. 234.1 DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................................... 33CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................................................................. 375.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION............................................................................................... 375.1 REFERENCE ............................................................................................................................................ 38BOOKS ................................................................................................................................................... 38JOURNALS/PAPERS ............................................................................................................................ 38WEBSITE ............................................................................................................................................... 39List of FiguresFigure 1.Box and whisker plot of magnetic susceptibility values from rocks in the studied area grouped by rock type. Boxes represent values between the 75th and 25th percentiles, the central bar shows themedian value and the box whiskers show the ashes represent individual data points, full range in values, not including outliers (dots). Within the boxes, the small + and whiskers show. (Elizabeth A.Sanger1 and Jonathan M.G.Glen1, 2003) ........................................................................................................................... 5Figure 2. The picture showing samplers collecting loam samples .............................................................. 13Figure 3.The picture showing some steps in auger sampling ..................................................................... 14Figure 4.Sikonge exploration licences and airborne geophysical survey ................................................... 15