SAND & MINERAL BASED INDUSTRIES

DR. THRIVIKRAMJI K.P. DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY (Retd.) UNIVERSITY OF KERALA

PROFILE OF KERALA POPULATION

CLIMATE

PHYSIOGRAPHY GEOLOGY GROUND WATER REGIME

POPULATION
3.18 CRORES (CENSUS, 2001) SIDE OF SUPPORT SQUARE 35 m 2 POPULATION DENSITY : 819/ km HIGHEST IN LOWLAND AND NEARLY SO IN MIDLAND AND DENSE POCKETS IN HIGHLAND. CHIEF MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD : NATURAL / AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

CLIMATE
RAINFALL : 180 300cm
70% OF YIELD SW MONSOON ~ 193 RAINLESS DAYS ANNUALLY NOTICEABLE RISING TREND IN TEMPERATURE

PHYSIOGRAPHY& GEOLOGY
CLASS HIGH HIGHLAND ELEV., M AREA, KM2 GEOLOGIC SKETCH

> 600.0

HIGHLAND

75.0 - 600.0

PRE-CAMBRIANCRYSTALLINE 7420 ROCKS CHARNOCKITES, KHONDALITES, GRANITE INTRUSIVES, 14357 YOUNGER DYKES LATERITE COVER AT LOWER ALTITUDES 13476 LATERITE COVER W/ CRYSTALLINE CORE

MIDLAND

8.0 75.0

COASTAL LAND

<8.0

3610

TERTIARY SEDIMENTARY ROCKS & BEACH ALLUVIAM

GEOLOGY
ROCKS : IGNEOUS, SEDIMENTARY & METAMORPHIC TYPES
STRUCTURE: MICRO & MACRO & LARGE SCALE

WATER RESOURCE
41 WEST FLOWING & 3 EAST FLOWING RIVERS UNDER 2 DAYS RESIDENCE TIME FOR RAIN WATER LINEAMENTS - RECHARGE CONDUIT

PERCAPITA ENTITLEMENT RAIN : 9450 LPD SURFACE WATER : 1022 LPD GROUND WATER : 590 LPD

HEAVY MINERAL RESERVES (CHAVARA-THRIKUNNAPUZHA)

Raw Sand THM Ilmenite Rutile Leucoxene Zircon Monazite Garnet Sillimanite Kyanite Others 1645.51 MT 144.02 MT 88.48 MT 6.02 MT 4.31 MT 5.22 MT 0.99 MT 0.56 MT 34.38 MT 0.89 MT 3.28 MT

VALUE OF THE DEPOSIT, Rs. 40,300 CRORE

MINERAL Ilmenite Rutile Leucoxene Zircon Sillimanite RESERVE COST (Million PER TON Tons) (Rs) 88.48 6.02 4.31 5.22 6.88 3600.0 28000.0 32000.0 32000.0 8000.0 TOTAL WORTH (Rs) 13272.0 9036.0 6459.0 9399.0 2062.0

RUPEE VALUE OF MINERAL SAND @ 4.0 MT PER ANNUM

Mineral Production, T/yr 1,000,000.0 100,000.0 Income per year, Rs (Crores) 150.0 150.0 Income Income in 30 yr in 50 yr 3000.0 3000.0 7500.0 7500.0

Ilmenite Rutile

Leucoxene
Zircon Sillimanite

50,000.0
80,000.0 40,000.0

75.0
144.0 12.00

1500.00
288.0 240.0

3750.0
7200.0 600.0

Total

1,270,000.0

425.0

6422.40

21240.0

TF OF BS = 3600 T VOL. OF 4.0 MT, THEN = 111.1m3 OR A 1m THICK SLAB OF BLACK SAND CAKE SPREAD OVER 1.1 km2 OR 111.1 ha

1.11 HA 1.0 m

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

DEC. 26, 2004 TSUNAMI

II II

III

River Basin I, II Stream Order

ROCK WEATHERING
ROCKS WEATHER TO LATERITE IN TROPICAL MONSOON CLIMATE A PROCESS TAKING ~1MA/METER SAND MAKING: A SLOW PROCESS. (@ 1mi/YR OR LOWER DENUDATION) DEMAND FOR SAND: ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE LARGER THAN MAKING

RIVER SAND = >90% QUARTZ SP. GRAVITY = 2.65; HARDNESS = 6 CHEMICALLY INERT CHERTHALAI GLASS SAND & GOLDEN BEACHE SAND- QUARTZ COMMON CRYSTALLINE ROCK: = Q0.33+F0.66+A0.01 SP.GRAVITY: ~2.75 1 m3 = 2.75 T & QUARTZ IS 0.9 TRUCK LOADS

SO SAND OF MODERN OR ANCIENT RIVER CHANNELS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SUPPORT DEMAND OF INDUSTRY.

MUST LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES LIKE CRUSHER SAND, SEA BED SAND OR FLYSAH.