A project report submitted to the department of geology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bsc. degree geology
Abstract
The report gives a detailed account about the feldspars found in the Namanga area in the
south of Kenya at the Kenya-Tanzania border. Found in Kajiado County located162 km
south of Nairobi and 60 km west of the Amboseli national reserve.
In The area, the only rivers present are Namanga river and Kidongai river which are seasonal
and dry up during the dry seasons. Its habitat consists mostly of open plains thorn bush lands
and acacia forests with yellow barks. Namanga hills of elevation 8,359ft is one of the
mountains in the area. Amboseli national reserve provides the main tourist attraction in the
area. The reserve is home to big game and birds and is run by both the community and the
Kenya Wildlife Service.
The greater part of rocks in the area are crystalline gneisses, schists and granulites of the
Basement System, which is believed to be of the Archean age, while Tertially and later
volcanic rocks have a limited distribution, mainly occurrences being in the Rift Valley north
west of the area. The feldspar deposit was found to fall under the Turoka series of rocks
named by Joubert, 1957. This is a series of rocks that comprise the limestone group and the
quartzite group. The limestone group comprise the banded pelitic gneisses migmatites with
prominent calcareous and subordinate semi-calcareous, semi-pelitic and psammitic types.
Intensely migmatitized. Host rock is mostly migmatites (pelitic host) alternated with marble.
Results from the project included whole rock analysis from the Department Of Mines which
analysed rock samples from a vein of feldspars found in the area. Other sources of data
included library books, journals, publications, reports and maps. Information from the
internet was also used.
From the analysis done it indicted that the feldspar in the area was alkali feldspar from AAS
and a relatively new method of selective staining of k-feldspar and plagioclase on rock slabs
and thin sections. The Alkali, Alumina, Iron, and potash feldspar content, present it was
established that the Feldspar could be used for Ceramic & Sanitary Ware Manufacturing,
fluxing agents, manufacture of bonded abrasives. Conveyer belt extraction of the mineral
should be tried out as it is cost effective and fast. The extent of the feldspar should also be
determined to know its full economic value as per the prevailing commodity prices.
Citation
Geology ProjectSponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
Department of Geology, University of Nairobi
Description
Undergraduate Project