LAUSR

Major, trace and rare earth elements (REE) concentrations in limestone beds of the Asu River Group within the Middle Benue Trough were measured to understand the depositional conditions, characteristics and source of REE. The limestone has high content of CaO (Average of 46.55%), followed by SiO2 (Average of 7.90 %), Fe2O3(t), MgO and Al2O3. The limestones are depleted in most of the trace elements (Co, V, Rb, Ba, Zr, Y, Nb, Hf and Th) when compared with the Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS). The observed large variations in ΣREE contents among various limestones of the present study (12.22 to 142.53ppm) are mainly due to the amount of terrigenous matter present in them. The characteristics of non-seawater-like REE patterns, elevated REE concentrations, high LaN/YbN ratios and low Y/Ho ratios, suggest that the observed variations in ΣREE contents are mainly controlled by the amount of detrital sediments in the limestones of the Asu River Group in the middle Benue trough. The observed variations in Ce contents and Ce anomalies in the studied samples resulted from detrital input. The limestones show positive Mn* values (0.30 to 0.78) and low contents of U (∼0.60–3.20 ppm) suggesting that they were deposited under oxygen-rich environment.