TITLE:
Physico-Chemical and Mineralogical Characterisation of Clay Geomaterials and a Typology of Quarries in the Korama Valley, South-East Niger
AUTHORS:
Abdoul Moumouni Adamou Laouali Malam, Abdoulkader Moussa Issaka, Bouba Hassane, Souley Harouna, Dia Hantchi Karimou, Oumarou Faroukou Habibou Maman, Nana Mariama Habibou Maman
KEYWORDS:
Clay Geomaterials, Superficial Quarries, Deep Quarries, X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Fluorescence
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.16 No.11,
November
12,
2026
ABSTRACT: In Niger, clay geomaterials are widely distributed and extensively quarried. Unfortunately, these materials are still poorly investigated. This limits their potential for utilisation. The aim of this study is to characterise the clay geomaterials and to propose a typology of the various quarries in the Korama Valley in Niger. The clay geomaterials from these various quarries were characterised using X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, the mapping of lithological sections, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the results. All the geomaterials are deposited in two types of horizons: superficial sedimentary horizons and deep alterite horizons. Two groups of geomaterials emerge: those characterised by an abundance of silica (mean SiO2 = 73.67 percent) and a relatively high proportion of alkaline and alkaline earth elements (mean alkaline and alkaline earth elements = 2.54 percent). From a mineralogical perspective, they are characterised by the presence of montmorillonite. Geomaterials characterised by a relatively lower proportion of silica and alkaline and alkaline earth elements have relatively higher proportions of Fe2O3 (mean Fe2O3 = 13.75%) and alumina (mean Al2O3 = 25.69%). Their proportion of titanium dioxide (mean TiO2 = 3.07%) is relatively high. From a mineralogical perspective, they are characterised by the presence of kaolinite. The proposed classification system has categorised the five (05) quarries sampled into two types; surface quarries and deep quarries. The surface quarries—Kolleram 1 and Garaké—are quarries containing montmorillonite-rich clay geomaterials, which are rich in silica and alkaline earth elements, dark in colour and not very hardened; the deep quarries—Kolleram 2, Menari and Yaouri, are quarries containing kaolinite-based clay geomaterials, which are relatively low in silica and alkaline and alkaline earth elements, more compacted and reddish in colour. All these characteristics mean that the geomaterials from both the shallow and deep quarries differ from a physico-chemical and mineralogical perspective.