Economic Geology and Mineral Resources
Economic Geology and Mineral Resources tests ore-forming processes, Indian mineral deposits and the distinction between reserve and resource.
Ore genesis
- Magmatic segregation: chromite, magnetite.
- Hydrothermal: gold-quartz veins, base-metal sulphides.
- Sedimentary: iron ore, coal, limestone.
- Residual weathering: bauxite, laterite.
Indian deposits
- Iron ore: Bailadila, Noamundi, Kudremukh.
- Coal: Jharia, Raniganj, Singrauli (Gondwana); Assam (Tertiary).
- Gold: Kolar. Diamond: Panna. Uranium: Jaduguda. Manganese: Balaghat. Bauxite: Koraput.
Worked example
A question asks the primary Indian source of uranium. Reasoning: uranium is mined at Jaduguda in Jharkhand from vein-type deposits in the Singhbhum belt. Answer: Jaduguda.
Traps
Bauxite is aluminium ore, not iron ore; laterite is a weathered soil, not an ore. Gondwana coalfields are Permian, Tertiary coal is younger and in Assam. Kolar is gold, not copper. A reserve is proven and economic; a resource is not yet proven economic.