Economic Geology and Mineral Resources of Maharashtra
What the domain covers
Economic Geology and Mineral Resources of Maharashtra tests ore-forming processes, mineral identification for economic use, and the distribution of Maharashtra resources. Expect questions on manganese, iron ore, coal, bauxite, limestone and offshore hydrocarbons.
Core rules
- An ore is a mineral aggregate that can be mined economically. Gangue is unwanted material. Ferrous ores include iron and manganese; non-ferrous ores include bauxite and copper.
- Maharashtra manganese deposits occur in the Nagpur-Bhandara-Gondia belt. Iron ore occurs in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli, with some deposits in the Konkan districts.
- Coal is Gondwana in age and occurs in the Wardha Valley, Kamptee and Umrer areas. Limestone is mined in Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Nagpur districts. Bauxite occurs in Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
- Offshore Mumbai High produces oil and gas. Deccan basalt is quarried for aggregate and building stone.
Worked example
A black mineral has metallic luster, hardness about 6, a black streak and strong magnetism. Hematite has a red-brown streak and is weakly magnetic. Pyrite is brass-yellow and not strongly magnetic. The specimen is magnetite, an iron ore. Its black streak and magnetism are diagnostic, and its presence in Chandrapur or Gadchiroli iron-ore assemblages is consistent with Maharashtra geology.
Traps
Coal is a sedimentary rock, not an igneous ore. Manganese is not the same as iron ore, although both are ferrous. Bauxite is the ore of aluminium, not of iron. Do not place Mumbai High onshore; it is an offshore field.