Determination of The Curie Point Depth, Thermal Gradient and Heat Flow of Parts of Central And North-Eastern Nigeria Using Spectral Analysis Technique

Abstract

Radially power spectrum was applied to the aeromagnetic data covering an area 36,300km2 and bounded by latitudes 7.5o N and 11.5o N and longitudes 7.5o E and 10.5o E., divided into 35 square blocks (with 50% overlapping and approximately 64 by 64 data points) and each block analysed using the spectral centroid method to obtain depth to the top, centroid and bottom of magnetic sources. The result shows that the curie point depths, range from 17.711km to 34.34km, with a mean value of 26.21km, geothermal gradient, range from 16.89 0C km-1 to 32.75 0C km-1, with a mean value of 22.83 0C km-1 and heat flow, range from 42.22 mWm-2 to 81.87 mWm-2, with a mean value of 57.07 mWm-2. These results correlate with the existing geothermal and geo-tectonic signatures of the area. Hence, the possibility of the existence of geothermal resources in the study area and its possible exploration is not far fetch.