Rai A K

Exploration and evaluation of beach placers of India with special emphasis on Kerala

Exploration and evaluation of beach placers of India with special emphasis on Kerala
A K Rai
Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research Department of Atomic Energy Hyderabad E-mail:addldir-op1.amd@gov.in Abstract. India with a vast coastline of over 6000kms has been a very prominent and potential nation in the shoreline beach placers map of the world. This distinction is achieved singularly by the sustained efforts of Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy. These beach and coastal plain placers contain heavy minerals ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, zircon, monazite, sillimanite and pyroxeneamphiboles commonly and surprisingly traces of xenotime and micro-diamonds are also identified. India being a tropical country has a combination of favourable factors for formation of placers viz. geology of the hinterland, coastal geomorphology, subtropical to tropical climate and intricate drainage system. The wind and other coastal processes acted in tandem in the development of beach and inland coastal placers. The heavy mineral assemblage varies widely from near mono-mineralic as near Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to multi-mineral suite elsewhere. The provenance for these heavy minerals constitutes high grade metamorphic rocks of Khondalites and Charnockites, granite gneisses of Precambrian, Deccan raps and reworked sedimentaries. Tropical to sub-tropical climate alternating with severe monsoons aided the physical and chemical weathering of rocks releasing stable heavy minerals. Intricate young and mature drainage system transported the heavy loads of these minerals to the sea, where the hydrodynamics of sea waves helped in sorting the heavy minerals by their specific gravity and depositing on to the beaches. Favourable coastal features like bays, coves, barrier beach system in association with active backwaters along the coasts are repositories for deposition. The state Odisha has three segments southern segment explored in detail hosting Chatrapur and Gopalpur deposits. Ilmenite is predominant in this segment with the grade of 15 24%. Central segment has now become prominent with the discovery of Brahmagiri mineral sand deposit extending from Chilika lake backwater systems. Exploration in the parts of northern segment also has shown areas of promise. In Andhra Pradesh, northern segment - which is the southern contiguity of south Odisha - hosts potential deposits at Bhavanapadu, Kalingapatnam, Srikurmam sectors with total heavy mineral grades of the order of 10-25%, ilmenite and garnet being dominant. The Central segment of Godavari- Krishna deltas with paleo sand ridges inland, embayments, spits and bars has a mixed character mineralogically, ilmenite and pyroxene-amphibole as dominant heavy mineral suite. Kakinada, Amalapuram and Nizampatnam are medium grade and large tonnage deposits in this segment. The southern segment on account of low grade metamorphic rocks in the hinterland is pyroxene-amphibole predominant; at places with good contents of ilmenite, rutile and zircon. The palaeo beach ridges 8-12 km inland in the coastal plains record grades of 3-12%. Tamil Nadu has two distinctly different mineralization environments- as (a) beach placers and (b) inland red sands the Teri dunes, the latter confined to southernmost part of Tamil Nadu. The beach placers exhibit heavy mineral constitution of (a) ilmenite dominant southernmost Manavalakurichi sector (b) almandine garnet rich Ovari sector (c) a mixed
Shaji E & Pradeepkumar AP (Eds) 2014 Mineral Resources of Kerala Trivandrum: Dept of Geology Univ of Kerala ISBN 978-81-923449-0-4 22

Rai A K

Exploration and evaluation of beach placers of India with special emphasis on Kerala

association of ilmenite, garnet and pyriboles in the Tuticorin sector and (d) pyroxene amphibole dominant northernmost sector up to Pulicat Lake near Chennai. The range of heavy mineral concentrations of the beach placers vary from 5-40% normally. The Teri sands of southern Tamil Nadu essentially at Sattankulam, Kudiraimoli and Navaladi-Periyatalai occur as dunes formed by aeolian process, record heavy mineral grades of the order of 6-13%, of which 75% is constituted by titanium minerals with good contents of associated monazite and zircon associated. These Teri sands hold large resources more than 65% of total heavy minerals of Tamil Nadu. Khondalites and Charnockites are the rocks of hinterland in the southern and hornblende-biotite gneisses and other retrograded rocks constituting the provenance of northern Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra has potential occurrences in Ratnagiri district as ilmenite predominant or ilmenite associated with magnetite suites. The state of Karnataka exposes Dharwarian schists and gneisses as a dominant geological unit in the hinterland and as a consequence, deposits or occurrences of economic significance do not occur. Kerala is by far the best in India in terms of quality titanium minerals, zircon and monazite. It is true, especially of ilmenite with over 60% of contained TiO 2 is the worlds leading heavy mineral deposit at Chavara- with resources of 125 million tonnes (mt) of heavy minerals, of which ilmenite accounts for 79 mt. The concept of mineralogical provinces can be applied for Kerala heavy mineral deposits. The southern Kerala forms the Ilmenite Sillimanite province with zircon and monazite, whereas the northern Kerala can be termed as Pyroxene-Amphibole Ilmenite Province. The geomorphic factors in southern Kerala are well-developed network of backwaters, lagoons, barrier beaches favouring the deposition of heavy mineral placers and the localization is brought in by long shore drifts. In addition, many other deposits/ occurrences have been identified by sustained exploration efforts of AMD. The effects of leucoxinisation are more prominent in southern Kerala deposits wherein ilmenite is predominant. The deposits/ occurrences of central and northern Kerala- Alappuzha-Kochi, Azhikode- Chavakkad, Chavakkad- Ponnani and Valarpattanam-Nileshwaram are pyroxene-amphibole dominant. Field observations and data accrued so far are interpreted by geo-statistical methods which indicate superimposition of higher grade placers on to the in situ palaeo placers in the prograding events of sea implying the possible existence of concealed palaeo beaches in the inland. Exploration in this direction has proved fruitful in the delineation of palaeo shoreline placers in the inland extensions of Thrikkunnapuzha - Thottapally coastal sector.

Shaji E & Pradeepkumar AP (Eds) 2014 Mineral Resources of Kerala Trivandrum: Dept of Geology Univ of Kerala ISBN 978-81-923449-0-4 23