Professional Application of Airborne LiDAR and Geophysics Integration for Mineral Exploration Target Ranking in Nasarawa State

Nasarawa State is prospective for gemstones, industrial minerals, and metallic ore occurrences associated with its Basement Complex geology, and the integration of airborne LiDAR topographic data with aeromagnetic and airborne radiometric datasets offers a powerful multi-layer approach to mineral exploration target generation. This professional study integrates airborne LiDAR-derived topographic models with reprocessed aeromagnetic and radiometric data to rank exploration targets in the Nasarawa-Wamba basement corridor. LiDAR terrain data at 0.5-metre resolution were used to produce geomorphological maps highlighting erosion-resistant ridges, drainage deflections, and linear valleys interpreted as structural features controlling mineralisation. Aeromagnetic data were enhanced using edge detection filters and correlated with LiDAR-defined structural lineaments to identify areas of multi-dataset structural coincidence. Radiometric ternary maps combining potassium, thorium, and uranium were used to identify evolved granite phases and contact aureole zones with elevated prospectivity for scheelite, beryl, and columbite mineralisation. A multi-criteria prospectivity model combining structural, magnetic, and radiometric scores ranks 12 target polygons across the study area. Ground follow-up including geochemical soil sampling and induced polarisation surveys at the two highest-ranked targets are recommended as the next exploration phase. The study provides a reproducible target ranking workflow applicable to other Nigerian basement complex mineral exploration programmes. Keywords: LiDAR, aeromagnetic, mineral prospectivity, Nasarawa State, exploration targeting