GEOLOGY OF DUTSE ZARANDA AND ITS ENVIRONS, PART OF BAUCHI SHEET 149 NE, BAUCHI STATE, NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the geology of Dutse Zaranda and its environs, part of sheet 149NE, located between latitudes 10°16′12″N and 10°19′48″N and longitudes 9°36′36″E and 9°40′12″E, covering an area of approximately 75 square kilometers, part of Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, northeastern Nigeria. The area lies within the Nigerian Basement Complex and is mainly underlain by migmatite and coarse-grained granite. This research aims to identify and describe the rock types, their mineralogical composition, structural features, and geological significance. Field mapping involved the documentation of lithological units and structural elements such as joints, fractures, veins, and dykes, while representative rock samples were collected for petrographic analysis. Laboratory examination of thin sections under plane and cross-polarized light revealed that the rocks composed of quartz, plagioclase, microcline, and biotite, with minor opaque minerals, exhibiting granoblastic and hypidiomorphic textures. Modal analysis of the coarsegrained granite (sample S2) yielded initial proportions of Quartz = 40, Alkaline feldspar = 20, Plagioclase = 22; when normalized to the QAP system this corresponds to Q = 48.78%, A = 24.39%, P = 26.82%, plotting the sample in the monzogranite (monzogranitic) field on the QAP diagram. Structural analysis showed that the area is characterized by fractures and joints trending predominantly NE–SW and NW–SE, consistent with the regional Pan-African tectonic trends. These structures significantly influence groundwater occurrence and mineralization patterns. The results indicate that Dutse Zaranda lies within a stable crystalline terrain with potential for industrial mineral resources and groundwater development.