GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

GUJARAT
Geology Narmada and Tapi rivers in the plains of South Gujarat. Pleistocene
age of Gujarat is represented by foraminifera bearing aeolian as well
Gujarat with an expanse of
as marine limestone. About 50% area of Gujarat is covered by
196,024 sq.km, exposes
unconsolidated Holocene sediments, majority of which is older and
rocks from Precambrian era
younger flood plain deposits of Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati and
to Holocene period. It has
Banas rivers. The coastal belt surrounding the Gulf of Kachchh and
three different geographic
Gulf of Kutch is dominated by younger and older tidal flat deposits.
regions, namely eastern
Gujarat, Kutch and The state of Gujarat is well known for dinosaurian remains
Saurashtra/Kathiawar. The represented by skeletal remains and nests recorded from Kheda
eastern Gujarat shows a district.
general southwesterly and
Mineral Resources
west-ward slope from the
dissected and denuded hilly The state of Gujarat is endowed with a number of mineral deposits
terrain of Preacambrians to the alluvial plain, which gradually merges viz., bauxite, bentonite, base metals, fireclay, fluorite, fuller's earth,
into the sea and gulf. Shield area of Gujarat lies in the eastern part limestone, chalk, glass sand, manganese, graphite, lignite,
and is occupied by the Archaean -Prechampaner Gneissic Complex petroleum and natural gas, building and dimension stones.
and Prelunavada Gneissic Complex (equivalent to BGC of
Rajasthan); Palaeo-to Meso-
Proterozoic Aravalli and Delhi
supergroups and Neoproterozoic Geological and Mineral Map of Gujarat, Daman and Diu
Godhra-, Erinpura- and Idar- Scale
Granites. The Mesozoic rocks are
exposed in Kutch region and in
northern part of Saurashtra Plateau. 1851

It is represented by the Pachchham,

the Chari, the Katrol and the Bhuj
formations in Kutch region and by
the Dhrangadhra Group, the
Wadhwan Group in Saurashtra
Plateau and the Lameta Formation
and the Bagh Beds in Kheda,
Panchmahals and Vadodara
districts (Eastern Gujarat). The
Saurashtra Plateau in the west is
separated from the eastern Gujarats
undulating terrain by alluvial plain.
The basalt dominated 'Deccan Trap'
with restricted acid and intermediate
volcanics and intrusive is exposed
as thick pile in the southern part of
Gujarat, Saurashtra and as
relatively less thick horizons in
Kutch Region. It represents broadly
the geological time span from 80 Ma
to 60 Ma. Tertiary rocks (laterite, clay
and carbonaceous shale, lignite
etc.) which overlap these volcanics,
are present mainly in the southern
part of Kutch region, western and
southern part of Saurashtra Plateau
and also in the area bounded by
Bauxite, deposits belonging to the nodular type are reported mostly
from Kutch district, few other segregates are from Jamnagar,
Junagadh, Amreli, Bhvnagar, Kheda and Surat districts.
The mineral Bentonite is confined to Kutch and parts of the
Saurashtra region. Fireclays are reported from Bharuch, Manesana,
Panchmahals, Rajkot, Sabarkantha and Surendranagar districts.
The largest deposit in India and world is located at Ambadongar in
Vadodara district.
Gujarat is the only state in country producing chalk. Good quality
chalk is confined to the Porbander taluka of Junagadh district.
The graphite deposits have been proved over a strike length of
100km in Vadodara and Panchamahals districts, Banaskantha and
Sabarkantha districts.
The basemetal deposit at Ambomata (Ambaji), Delhi Supergroup in
Banaskantha district is the largest known deposit in Gujarat. The
mineralization is mainly of lead and zinc with subordinate copper.
The manganese deposits occur in Shivrajpur- Pani belt and Anas
area in Panchmahals district and Ambala in Vadodara district
(Aravalli Supergroup).
In Gujrat three major Lignite fields are present viz Panandhro Lignite
field and adjoining areas (Akri Moda, Jhulari-Waghapardar, Lakhpat
and Matanomadh) in Kutch district, Bhrui area in Bharuch district and
in Khadsalic area in Bhavnagar district.
It is one of the largest oil producing state in the country. The
Ankleshwar oil field, Bharuch district, Cambay oil field, Kheda district,
Sanand oil field, Ahmedabad district and Kalol oil field, Mahesana
district are among the major oil producing areas.
Geotechnical Investigation
Important Geotechnical investigations carried in this state includes
Sardar Sarovar Dam Project on Narmada River and Kakrapar Atomic
Power Project Surat district.

The state of Gujarat is well known for its

dinosaurian remains, especially skeletal and
nests reported from Kheda district

Interrelation of Older and Younger Basic Activity (left image) and Granophyre with Older Baslt(central and right images)

Director General, Geological Survey of India I E-mail: dg@gsi.gov.in I Visit us at: http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in
 GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Geology Permian Flora and Fauna. Triassic rocks do not outcrop anywhere in
Rajasthan but its presence in subsurface is established. The
The Rajasthan state,
Mesozoics are represented by the Lathi sandstone, Jaislmer
encompassing an area of
limestone, Baisakhi shale, Bedesar sandstone, Parihar (Pariwar)
342,239 sq km exposes rock
sandstone and Abur limestone, while lower Tertiary includes Sanu
sequences ranging in age
sandstone, Khuila limestone and Bandah limestone. The
from Archaean to Recent.
Pleistocene Shumar grits overlie the Teritary sequence as capping in
The different provinces of
the form of ferruginous grit and laterites. The Deccan Traps
the Western Indian Shield
(Creataceous to Eocene) are developed in southeast (Kota-
from east to west are the
Jhalawar sector) and south-southeast Rajasthan (Chittorgarh-

RAJASTHAN
Banded Gneissic Complex
Banswara sector). A large track of western Rajasthan constitutes the
(BGC), Aravalli-Delhi and
Thar Desert. The continental sediments here comprise a multiple
the Trans-Aravalli. The
episodic succession of fluvial, fluvio-lacustrine and aeolian depoist.
Archaean era is represented
by the BGC. It has been
reclassified as the Sandmata
Complex and the Mangalwar
Complex belonging to the Geological and Mineral Map of Rajasthan
Bhilwara Supergroup, which also 1851

includes the Hindoli Group Scale

(erstwhile Gwalior Series). The
Aravalli, Delhi, Vindhyan and
Mewar Supergroups represent
Proterozoic rocks. The Aravalli
Supergroup, chiefly comprising
metamorphosed and complexly
folded clastic sediments. The
Delhi supergroup overlies the
Aravallis with an erosional
unconformity. The rocks of Delhi
Supergroup occur in two sectors
viz. in northeast Rajasthan (North
Delhi Fold Belt), disposed in three
sub- basins (Alwar, Bayana and
Khetri) and in a narrow linear belt
along the Aravalli range (South
Delhi Fold Belt). The eastern and
southern boundary of the BGC is
demarcated by the Vindhyan
sediments and the Deccan traps
respectively. The major part of
Trans-Aravalli Province
comprises of the Malani Igneous
Suite along with crystasllines of
Archaean age (equivalent of the
BGC) and the Marwar
Supergroup (equivalent to
Vindhyans).The rocks of the
Marwar Supergroup are
unconformably overlain by the
Bap Boulder Bed (Upper
Carboniferous), the latter forming
the basement for the Badhaura
Formation, which contain
 Mineral Resources
Rajasthan, endowed with rich mineral wealth, occupies a significant
position on the mineral map of the country.
Ancient workings recognized as first ancient zinc smelting site is
located at Zawar in Udaipur District. The Bhilwara Supergroup of
Archean to Lower Proterozoic age (Agucha, Dariba-Rajpura, Pur-
Banear), Lower Proterozoic Aravalli Supergroup (Zawar) and in the
Delhi Supergroup, Lower to Upper Proterozoic (Kayar-Ghugra) also
are known rich deposits of lead-zinc and mines in the country.
Khetri copper Belt, Alwar copper Belt, Pur-Banera Belt and South
Delhi Fold Belt are some of the renowned copper belts located in
Rajasthan. The Neem-ka-Thana Belt approximately 20km long
copper belt is one of the latest and the richest deposit.
The iron ore deposits are located mainly in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu and
Sikar districts and are found associated with the Delhi Supergroup of
rocks.
Tungsten mineralization of Degana and Central Rajasthan are
associated with Dehi Orogen (Early to Middle Proterozoic).
Several occurrences of gold are reported from Bhilwara, Aravalli and
Delhi supergroups (Archaean to Proterozoic age). In the 'Bhukia
Gold Belt' with an area of about 5.5 sq km (Aravalli Supergroup), the
mineralization is associated with sulphides and is shear controlled.
Gold is in native form as well lollingite associated with arsenopyrite.
The main deposits of asbestos are located in Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara,
Dungargarh, Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur districts from altered
ultramafics of Proterozoic rocks.
Soapstone occurences are reported from Dogetha-Jhama, and
Geejgarh in Jaipur Chaipura in Bhilwara, Malani Rhyolites,
Rajasthan Garnatiferous mica schist, Pur Formation, Rajasthan
Dhaota, Dwain, Kamalpura, Rajauli, Garhi, Pura and Morra in Sawai
Madhaopur, in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara districts.
Flourite & Gypsum are found at Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Dungargarh,
Jaipur, Jalor, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Sikar, Sirohi and Bikaner, Nagaur,
Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali and Ganganagar districts respectivly.
The phosphate/phospherite deposits are reoported from Udaipur
and Banswara district (Aravalli Supergroup), Jaipur (Delhi
Supergroup), Chittorgarh (Lower Vindhyans) and few deposits from
Jaisalmer. The major deposit is from Jhamar Kotra, Maton, Karbaria-
ka-Gurha and Dakan Kotra in Udaipur district.
The calcite are recorded from Sikar, Pali, Sirohi, Udaipur and Jaipur
districts .
The state accounts for 50% production of China clay which occur in
Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Sawai Madhaopur,
Sikar and Pali districts.
Extensive wollastonite deposits occur at Khera-Uparla in Pali-Sirohi
districts, Bhel-ka-Pahar in Sirohi and Gola- Alipua in Ajmer districts.
The main occurences of lignite are in Bikaner-Nagaur district, Gurha,
Barsinghsar, Hadda, Narsingh-ki-Dahani, Raneri and Chak-
Vijaysinghpura.
Oil & Natural Gas reserves are found in Bamer- Sanchar Basin. Oil
reserve of 480 milliom tones and gas of 3000 million cu m have been
proved.
The precious stone are chiefly reported and available from Ajmer and
Udaipur districts. Several garnet varities are found in Ajmer, Bhilwara
and Tonk district. Aquamarine from Tonk district, amethyst from
Kishangarh, in Ajmer and Jaipur distict are some other occurrences
of semi precious stones. Chrysoberyl from Ajmer and Bhilwara
district. Emerald a verdant green variety of beryl with little Cr content
holds an important place as its one of important discoveries and is so
extensively found that an emrald prospect spread over a 30 sq km
area, near Bargulla, Chamoki Mandar, Katar and Veenu Bhagat area
are reported. Semi-precious transparent apatite crystals in shades of
green, honey yellow and light blue have been reported from
Mundavalli and Gopir area are reported.
Geotechnical Investigtion
A number of water resources and bridge construction projects have
been carried out in the state of Rajasthan. Important ones include
Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Yamuna Rajasthan Link Canal Project
and Jakham Hydal Project in Chittorgarh and Udaipur districts,
Atomic Power Plant sites in Karauli, Dholpur, Banswara and
Hanumangarh districts, Chambal Development plan Phase-II in
Dholpur district, Bisalpur Irrigation Project in Tonk district, Kailisindh
Hydel-cum-Irrigation Project in Jhalwar district, Rajasthan Atomic
Poer Project unit 5 and 6 in Chittorgarh district and Alnia Dam in Kota
district.
Seismotectonic Investigations
Several seismotectonic investigations in the region has been taken
up after the Jaisalmer earthquake (2009) and its impact were some
important studies

Development of M W folds (left image) Cylindrical F2 fold (central image) and Native Copper( right image, PPL 100x)

Director General, Geological Survey of India I E-mail: dg@gsi.gov.in I Visit us at: http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in