A Decadal Review of Geophysical Investigations in the Southern Kaduna Basement Terrain, North-Central Nigeria: Structural, Mineral, Groundwater and Seismotectonic Perspectives

Abstract

The southern Kaduna axis, comprising the Kachia, Kagarko, Kwoi, Kafanchan, Kagoro and Zonkwa districts of north-central Nigeria, lies within the Pan-African crystalline Basement Complex and constitutes a structurally complex terrain of migmatite-gneiss, older granite, younger granitoid and minor meta-volcano-sedimentary lithologies. Over the last decade, the area and its immediate environs in the wider Central Nigeria Basement province have attracted considerable geophysical attention, driven by interest in solid-mineral exploration, groundwater resource evaluation, geothermal appraisal and the investigation of intraplate seismicity. This paper synthesizes geophysical research undertaken within and around the study area (7°30'–8°30'E; 9°00'–10°00'N) between 2015 and 2025, integrating the regional geological map and an aeromagnetically-derived lineament map of the corridor with a structured review of 45 peer-reviewed sources. Aeromagnetic studies utilising multiple filters and Euler deconvolution techniques consistently delineate NE-SW and subordinate NW-SE trending basement fabrics that coincide with mapped fault and shear-zone traces from Masaka through Kagarko to Kachia, and from Kwoi-Nok-Chori to Kafanchan. These structures are implicated in localized mineralization, groundwater accumulation in fractured/weathered basement aquifers, and in the spatial clustering of low-magnitude earth-tremor activity reported across the Central Nigeria seismotectonic province. Complementary electrical resistivity (VES/ERT), aero-radiometric, gravimetric and remote-sensing/DEM studies are reviewed and synthesized into a unified structural-tectonic framework. Knowledge gaps are identified, including the scarcity of site-specific high-resolution aeromagnetic coverage, and the near-absence of integrated geophysical multi-method campaigns dedicated specifically to the Kachia-Kagarko-Kwoi-Kafanchan-Kagoro-Zonkwa corridor. Recommendations are proposed for future high-resolution, multi-parameter geophysical campaigns to support sustainable mineral, water and infrastructural development in the region.