Quality and QuanAssessments of Marble Deposit in Benishangual Gumuz, Regional State, Around Daleti Area.
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Date
2019-06-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Daleti marble deposit is situated in the Western part of Ethiopia near Oda Beldeglue woreda, Daleti Keble, which is about 665 km from Addis Ababa and at an elevation of between 590 to 2491 m above mean sea level. Geology of the marble district is composed of metasedimentary schists, which are of low metamorphic grade; consist of intercalated greenschist, quartzo-feldspathic schist, graphite schist, phyllite, quartzite with lesser biotite schist, metaconglomerate and marble. Based on petrographic study, the main minerals identified in these basement rocks include calcite, muscovite and opaque mineral. The parent rock, calcite and dolomite have been partly and completely transformed to marble. The main aim of the present study is to assess the qualitative as well as quantative features of this marble deposit. An integrated study combining geological, petrography, mineralogical (XRD) and physical and mechanical test (compressive strength, porosity, water absorption, bulk density) data as well as cut and polish section were carried out in order to characterize the quality and quantity of marble deposit in the study area as well as to assess the environmental impact of mining. Data obtained from morphological study and available physical property tests were also examined to see the possible industrial applications.
Usually the company uses highly sophisticated technologies where both cutting by diamond wire and water jet are applied. Marble is used in a variety of applications as flooring tiles in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, restaurants and public places like hotels, public toilets churches and town halls. Therefore, these areas could be developed for dimension stone quarry and exploitation of these rocks could be as rough unprocessed building stone or better polished natural stones for a variety of uses.
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Daleti, Genesis, Marble, Physico-Mechanical Properties, Petrography, Mine