Geology of Maharashtra
The State of Maharashtra encompasses an area of 307,713 sq.km. About 58,465 sq.km (≈19%) is likely mineral-bearing.
Division-wise distribution of mineral bearing area
| S.No. | City | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nagpur | 60% |
| 2 | Amravati | 10% |
| 3 | Konkan | 20% |
| 4 | Aurangabad | 5% |
| 5 | Pune | 3% |
| 6 | Nasik | 2% |
Geology of the state
The entire area forms part of the Peninsular Shield. Ancient Precambrian rocks are overlain in places by Proterozoic and Permo-Carboniferous basins and extensively by Deccan Trap lava flows (covering >80% of the State).
Structure
Structurally, the state is a stable block (Peninsular Shield) with some normal and block faulting that generated basins containing Gondwana sedimentary beds (notably in Vidarbha). Evidence of West-coast faulting includes hot springs arranged linearly from Ratnagiri to Mumbai and thinning Deccan traps moving eastward.
Association of economic minerals with formations
Knowledge of rock formations and their distribution provides clues to mineral occurrence: iron & manganese often with Precambrian formations; limestone & dolomite with Penganga/Pakhal/Kaladgi groups; coal with Gondwana; oil with Tertiary rocks, etc.
Time units & associated rock formations / minerals
| Time unit (Period) | Type / rock formation | |
|---|---|---|
| Recent, Sub-Recent and Pleistocene; Miocene-Pliocene | Alluvium, Laterite soil, sand, etc.; Tertiary sediments, lignite, shales | Kankar, brick & pottery clay, sand, ilmenite, lower-grade iron ore & manganese ore, ochres, bauxite, lithomarge, clays, lignite |
| Lower Eocene – Upper Cretaceous | Deccan trap with intertrappeans & infratrappeans (Lametas, Bagh beds) | Building stone, road metal, inferior limestone, agate, jasper, opal, rock crystal, calcite, zeolites, gypsum |
| Jurassic (Upper Gondwana) | Limestone; Chikiala & Kota formation | Limestone |
| Triassic | Clays, Sandstones and Maleri formation | Sandstone and clays |
| Permian (Lower Gondwana) | Sandstone and shales Mangli beds Sandstone and Shales Kamthi formation. Micaceous sandstone with clays. | Clays |
| Motur formation (Sandstone and Shale). Barakar formation (Sandstone Carbonaceous shale and coal) | Coal fire clays | |
| Upper Carboniferous | Talchir formation | (No specific minerals listed) |
| Pre-Cambrian | Penganga beds (limestone/shales), Pakhal group, Kaladgi group, Sausar Group | Limestone, fluorite, baryte, clays, foundry sand, manganese ore, calcitic/dolomitic marble, quartz |
| Dongargarh/Sakoli/ Iron ore groups (Precambrian) | Iron ore & related groups | Iron ore, chromite, tungsten, copper, zinc, gold, manganese, kyanite, sillimanite, corundum, pyrophyllite |
| Precambrian (older schists & gneisses) | Older unclassified crystallines | Barytes, chromite, felspar, sillimanite, quartz, soapstone, antimony, corundum, copper, mica, etc. |
