Research Outputs

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/3192

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    Petrographic Analysis of the Sandstones and Mudstones in Alice, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Implications for Groundwater Potential
    (MDPI, 2023-07-21) Adesola, Gbenga Olamide; Gwavava, Oswald; Liu, Kuiwu; Martínez, J.
    Aquifers’ storability potential in Alice, comprising rocks of the Beaufort Group in the Karoo Supergroup, is examined based on the mineralogical and diagenetic implications of sandstones and mudstones. This investigation is focused on SEM + EDX analysis, petrographic study, porosity, and density determination. The SEM + EDX and petrographic studies show that the rocks are fractured and porous and contain minerals like quartz, feldspar, lithics, mica, kaolinite, calcite, and illite. The primary diagenetic processes that affect the groundwater storage of the rocks are cementation via authigenic minerals, mineral replacement, the dissolution of minerals, and recrystallization. The existence of fractured and dissolution pores improves the groundwater storage capacity. Ten rock samples were selected for density and porosity measurements. The porosity result shows that mudstone has the highest porosity value of 2.56%, while sandstone has the lowest porosity value of 0.85%. This is due to mudstone having numerous pore spaces compared to sandstone. The density of mudstone ranges from 2.5763 to 2.6978 g/cm3 , while the density of sandstone ranges from 2.5908 to 2.6820 g/cm3. The secondary porosity is the main porosity for the reservoir rocks. The pores and fractures observed in the rocks act as channels for groundwater, which influence the aquifers’ storability in the study area. The techniques used in this research help us to efficiently understand the factors that control aquifers’ storability to assist with groundwater exploration.