CHAPTER 3

GEOLOGICAL SETTING
3.1 REGIONAL GEOLOGY
The Precambrian terrains of Peninsular India are represented by five cratonic
nuclei defining two major tectonic blocks: the Northern Indian Block and the Southern
Indian Block (Fig. 3.1a). The cratonic nuclei in the Northern Indian Block are
represented by the Aravalli Craton in the west and the Bundelkhand craton on the north,
and the Southern Indian Block includes the Dharwar Craton in the south, the
Singhbhum craton in the east and the Bastar craton in the north. The contact between
the Northern Indian block and the Southern Indian Block is marked by a major tectonic
zone referred as the Satpura Mountain Belt or Central Indian Tectonic Zone (Fig. 3.1b-
c).
The study area on the southern flank of Satpura Mountains consists of an
Archean basement complex (Tirodi Gneiss) with a thick succession of Proterozoic rocks
(the Sausar Group) distributed over an ENE–WSW trending, complexly folded arcuate
belt occupying an area of 210 km X 30 km. The Sausar Group (SSG) consists of
regionally metamorphosed pelitic and calcareous sediments. The entire succession was
affected by three phase of regional deformation and low to medium grade
metamorphism (Mohanty 1988; Mohanty 1993; Mohanty 2010a; Mohanty 2011;
Mohanty and Mohanty 1996; Mohanty et al. 2000). In the both side of low grade rocks
of Sausar Group two belts of granulites facies of metamorphism are present, Ramkona
Granulite Belt in the north and Balaghat- Bhandara in the south. The southern granulite
belt associated Central Indian Suture/Shear zone (CIS), which is a high strain ductile in
nature (Fig. 3.1b). The CIS is a 500-km-long, trending ENE–WSW dips northward,
extending from southeast of Nagpur to south of Korba (Jain and Yedekar, 1989) and the
width of the CIS ranges between 0.2 and 4 km.
The Sausar Group is mainly composed of metamorphosed sediments of
predominantly greenschist-amphibolite facies with local granulite facies (Yedekar et al.,
1990). Both TG and SSG show imprints of polyphase deformation (Mall et al., 2008).
The age of basement gneiss (Tirodi Gneiss) is 2325- 2494 Ma (Sm-Nd age; Ahmad et
al., 2009; Mohanty, 2011). The contact of the Tirodi Gneiss and the Sausar Group is
marked by presence of an unconformity composed of polymictic conglomerate

48
(Mohanty, 1993). The age of Sausar sedimentation is as ~2.2 to 2.4 Ga (Mohanty, 2003,
2012). The post-Satpura orogeny is tentatively dated at 1525±70Ma (Sarkar et al.,
1986; Naqvi and Rogers, 1987). The peak metamorphic condition of the Sausar
supracrustals is estimated at c.7 kb, and at 675 °C (Bhowmik et al., 1999).

a b

Study Area

Fig. 3.1 a: Map showing of tectonic units of India (a) after Mohanty, 2011, (b) after
Pradhan et al., 2010.
Fig. 3.1 c: Geological map of Central India showing the study area (after Bhowmik et
al., 2012).

49
3.2 PREVIOUS WORK
The manganese deposits of the Bharweli-Ukwa area in the Balaghat district
were first investigated by Bose (1889; cited in Fermor, 1909), who have reported
association of phyllite, sericite-schist, quartzite and jaspery-quartzite and manganese-
ore forming the “Chilpi Ghat Series”, deposited over Archaean basement gneisses
represented by the Baihar Gneiss and Chauria Gneiss. Fermor (1909) mapped the area,
and retained the three divisions proposed by Bose (1889; Table 3.1), but suggested that
the rocks previously mapped as Archaean schists and gneisses may be more intensely
metamorphosed forms of the Chilpi rocks, comprising of slates, phyllite, and mica
schists with some quartz schist and conglomeratic grit. Other metamorphic rocks
reported from the area include muscovite biotite gneiss, mica schist, quartzite, with
pyroxene-gneisses, epidote-gneisses and hornblende schist.
Burton (1912-1914; cited in Fermor, 1931) mapped the Bharweli area and
proposed a two-fold stratigraphic division (Table 3.2). The calc-gneiss and orthogneiss
of the area (i.e. metamorphic and “Crystalline Series” and intrusive granite of Fermor,
1909) were thought to be crystallized under the same conditions of metamorphism. The
calc-gneisses were considered as mixed gneisses and were named as the “Sonawani
Series”.
Manganese bearing metamorphic rocks of Chhindwara, Nagpur and Bhandara
district were mapped by Fermor and others during 1911 and 1927, and were placed
under the “Sausar Series” (Fermor, 1931), comprising of calc-granulites, calcitic
marble, gondite with manganese ore, dolomitic marble, hornblende schist and
amphibolite. These rock units were grouped under six units: Sitapar, Bichua, Chorbaoli,
Mansar, Utekata and Lohangi “Stages”. Fermor’s subdivision of the various stages
within “Sausar Series” was slightly modified by West (1936), with addition of two new
stages namely Kadbikhera and Junewani.
Straczek et al. (1956) modified the stratigraphy of the “Sausar Series” suggested
by Fermor (1926, 1932) and West (1936) and recognized wide spread occurrence of
Biotite Gneiss (Tirodi Gneiss). Sitasaongi Formation was introduced as a new unit
above the Tirodi Gneiss. The Utekata and Sitapar Formations proposed by the earlier
workers were omitted (Table 3.3).

50
 Table 3.1 Regional stratigraphy of the Chilpi Ghat Series of the Balaghat area
(after Fermor, 1909)
1. The Chilpi Ghat Series
2. The Metamorphic and Crystalline Series (designated as Baihar Gneiss by Bose,
1889).
3. The intrusive granite (designated Chauria Gneiss by Bose, 1889 and probably
equivalent to Bundelkhand Granite).

Table 3.2 Two-fold stratigraphic division of the Balaghat-Sonawani area

(after Burton, 1912-14)
Phyllite, sericite schist, derived from phyllite, pegmatite and thin
Chilpi Ghat Series

feldspathic tuffs.
Blue slates, slaty quartzite, feldspathic tuffs.
Phyllite
Manganese Ore
Phyllite and jaspery quartzite
Basal conglomerate and grit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quartz muscovite schist
Sonawani Series

metasediments)

Phyllite schist
(ancient

Feldspathic quartzite
Quartz muscovite schist
Calc-gneiss and crystalline limestone

Table 3.3 Geological succession of the Sausar Group

(after Straczek et al., 1956)
FORMATION DOMINANT LITHOLOGY
Bichua Formation Dolomitic Marbles and Calc-silicates.
Junewani Formation Muscovite-Biotite Schists and Granulites.
Chorbaoli Formation Quartzite and Schists.
Mansar Formation Muscovite Schists and Muscovite-Biotite.
Lohangi Formation Dolomitic Marbles and Calc-silicates.
Kadibikhera Formation Quartz Biotite Granulites.
Sitasaongi Formation Felspathic Schists and Quartzites.
Tirodi Biotite Gneiss Biotite Gneiss with Amphibolites
Calc-Gneisses and Quartz-Biotite Granulites.

On the basis of continuous westward grading of the low-grade phyllite and

sericite schists of the Bharweli-Ukwa area into the normal muscovite schist of the
Mansar Formation and associated quartz-muscovite-schist of Sitasaongi Formation,

51
Narayanaswami et al. (1963) correlated the phyllite and sericite schists of Bharweli-
Ukwa area with the Mansar Formation of the Sausar Group (Fig. 3.2; Table 3.4).
Table 3.4 Regional geological succession of the Sausar Group
(after Narayanaswami et al., 1963)
GROUP FORMATION PRINCIPAL LITHOLOGY
Bichua Formation Dolomitic marble, calc-gneisses and calc schist
Junewani Formation Mica schist and quartzite; granulites and biotite
gneisses.
Chorbaoli Formation Quartzite, feldspathic schist, gneisses,
autoclastic quartz conglomerate.
Mansar Formation Mica schist and gneisses, graphitic schist,
phyllite and quartzite; manganese deposits and
Sausar Group

gondites (most wide spread formation)

Lohangi Formation Three calcareous members showing
gradational contacts with one other.
Lohangi Pink and white calcite and dolomitic marble.
Member
Utekata
Calc-silicate granulite and gneisses, epidote
Member
quartzite and manganese deposit.
Kadbikhera
Quartz –biotite schist, granulites, schist and
Member
gneisses.
Sitasaongi Quartz-muscovite schist and felspathic
Formation muscovite schist, mica gneisses, quartzite and
conglomerate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ? Disconformity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tirodi Gneiss Biotite genesis with amphibolites, calc-silicate
* gneiss, granulite and feldspathic mica schist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ?Unconformity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Older Charnockite, orthogneisses and granite biotite
Metamorphics gneisses, hornblende gneisses, amphibolites
and calc granulites.

* Age is considered to be 2325-2494 Ma (Sm-Nd age reported by Ahmad et al., 2009;

Mohanty, 2011).

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Fig. 3.2: Geological map of the Sausar fold belt (after Narayanaswamy et al., 1963)

53
Tripathi et al. (1981) studied the rocks of Bharweli-Ukwa area specially exposed in
Baihar area and correlated the Baihar Gneiss of Bose (1889) with the Junewani
Formation of the Sausar Group and considered the Chilpi Group to be stratigraphically
older and correlatable with the Sausar Group. Rao (1981) suggested the low-grade rocks
of Bharweli-Ukwa Baihar belt, forming the Chilpi Group, to be equivalent to the
Mansar Formation of the Sausar Group. Dasgupta et al. (1984) considered the schistose
rocks of Bharweli-Ukwa area as “Sausar metasediments”, having sheared contacts with
the older Chilpi Group and younger gneisses of Baihar (Table 3.5).

Table 3.5 Stratigraphy of the Bharweli-Ukwa area

(after Dasgupta et al., 1984)
Deccan Traps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baihar Biotite Schist
Biotite Gneisses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sheared Contact~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sausar Metasediments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sheared Contact~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chilpi Rocks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Malanjkhand Granite

Jain et al. (1990, 1991, 1995) mapped a major shear zone from southeast of
Nagpur in the west to south of Korba, and Hatta and Baihar in Balaghat district in the
east. This shear zone is termed as the “Central India Shear” (CIS) zone. The rocks of
Chilpi Ghat Group are separated from the manganese belt by a gneissic country through
which this major ductile mylonite zone (CIS) passes (Jain et al., 1991). The manganese
bearing rocks of Bharweli-Ukwa area were considered to be younger than the Sausar
Group and are exposed to the north of this Central Indian Shear (Fig. 3.3, Table 3.6; cf.
Jain et al., 1991). The rocks to the south of CIS were mapped as the Khairagarh Group,
Nandgaon Volcanics, Dongargarh Granitoid, and Malanjkhand Granitoid (Table 3.7).

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Table 3.6 Lithostratigraphy of the Bharweli-Ukwa area (after Jain et al., 1991)

GROUP FORMATION ROCK TYPES

Quaternary Alluvium
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deccan Trap Basic volcanics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bharweli Group Bharweli Formation Intrusives
Sericite Phyllite
Quartzite
Sericite Schist with Mn ore
Basal Conglomerate and Grit
-----------------Tectonic Contact--------------
Sausar Group Tirodi Formation Granite Intrusive
Sericite Muscovite Hornblende
Schist (With Quartzites)
Granite Gneiss/Migmatite
Biotite Gneiss
Biotite Schist

Table 3.7 Stratigraphic correlation of the rocks of Central India (after Jain et al.,
1991)
GROUP NORTH BLOCK SOUTH BLOCK
Bharweli Khairagarh Group 1700-1500 m.y. Chhatisgarh Group
Group (Sarkar et al., 1967) ~~~unconformity~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nandgaon Volcanics Dongargarh Granitoid
(2180 m.y. to 2503 m.y.) (2200 m.y. to 2438 m.y.)
(Sarkar et al., 1981) (Sarkar et al., 1981)
Malanjkhand Granitoid
(2263 m.y.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unconformity~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sausar Group Sausar Tirodi Gneiss Amgaon Gneiss / Migmatites
Migmatites

55
Fig. 3.3: Geological map of the study area (modified after Jain et al., 1991)

56
 3.3 BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS FORMATIONS
The rock units mapped in the area around Bharweli include the basement granites and
gneisses, the Tirodi Formation and the lower units of the Sausar Group. The Chorbaoli
Formation, Junewani Formation and Bichua Formation are not exposed in the study area. The
regional geological succession of the Sausar Group which is exposed around the study area is
given in Fig. 3.4 (Sarkar et al., 2011).

Fig. 3.4: Stratigraphic column showing lithostratigraphic units of the Balaghat

manganese deposit (after Sarkar et al., 2011).

3.3.1 Older Metamorphics (unclassified) and associated granites

The outcrops of the granitic rocks in the study area are less, mostly
surrounded by alluvium or covered by dense reserve forest. Much of the work is based on the
regional studies. These rocks are exposed to the south of Balaghat, along Wainganga river

57
valley. The biotite hornblende rich granite shows gneissose structure. The large outcrops of
the granites are exposed in Lamta-Charegaon-Nagarwada area, and continue up to
Malanjkhand-Lanji-Amgaon area. In the Lalburra-Tirodi-Barghat (Seoni) area, pink fine-
grained varieties of granite with biotite gneiss and granite gneiss are exposed (Figs. 3.5 a &
b).

a b

Fig. 3.5: Field photographs showing (a) fine grained granite (b) coarse grained granite
gneiss.

3.3.2 Tirodi Formation

This Formation mainly consists of gritty conglomerate and medium grained schistose
biotite gneiss to porphyroblastic biotite gneiss (Fig. 3.6). The gritty conglomerates have a
very important stratigraphic position. The rock contains very large size assorted pebbles
comprising of quartzite, cherty quartzite, chert, vein quartz, granite, and granite gneiss. The
matrix is generally foliated and consists of quartz, feldspars and mica. The conglomeratic
grit, at places, is arkosic in character (Fig.3.7 a). The schistose biotite gneiss is fine grained
hard and compact in nature (Fig. 3.7 b).

3.3.3 Sitasaongi Formation

Rocks occurring below the Manganese-ore bed in this area consist of quartzites with
minor amounts of quartz schist. The quartz schists are less exposed in study area. It is not
exposed in the mine area, but covered by overburden mining dumps. The quartzite is
feldspathic in nature, very coarse grained and thinly banded (Figs. 3.8 a & b).
3.3.4 Lohangi Formation
Rocks of the Lohangi Formation comprising chiefly pink calcite marble and calc-
granulite form a distinct horizon between the Sitasaongi and Mansar Formations in other
parts of the belt. This horizon is, however, markedly absent over the greater part of this area.

58
Fig. 3.6: Geological map of Balaghat manganese deposit.

59
 a b

Fig. 3.7: Field photographs showing (a) boulders in gritty conglomerate and (b) biotite
gneiss

Thin bands
Banding

a b

Fig. 3.8 a-b: Field photographs of feldspathic quartzite of Sitasaongi Formation showing
thin banding.

3.3.5 Mansar Formation

Overlying the Lohangi Formation is the manganese bearing Mansar Formation. The
characteristic of the Formation is presence of manganese ore, deposited as admixture of pure
and impure sediments. The pure sediments resulted in high quality Mn ore, where as the
impure sediments include jasperiod quartzite and manganiferous quartzite, combinedly
known as Banded Manganese Formation (BMnF). This phenomenon persist over the entire
manganese belt (Fig. 3.9 a). The manganese ore is confined between the sericite schists of the
Mansar Formation and feldspathic quartzite of Sitasaongi Formation (Fig. 3.9 b). Mansar
Formation also comprises of phyllite, muscovite schist, sericite schist in low grade
metamorphic zone.

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 Manganese ore Sericite schist

Manganiferous quartzite
Jasperiod quartzite Manganese ore

Feldspathic quartzite
a b

Fig. 3.9: Field photographs of BMnF showing (a) Jasperoid and manganiferous band, and
(b) manganese ore confined between sericite schist and feldspathic quartzite.

These phyllites appear to have undergone at least two phases of deformation, the
present schistosity being a crenulation cleavage that has more or less completely transposed
the earlier schistosity. At places, some of these phyllites show compositional layering of
sericite, chlorite and quartzose layers, with quartz showing neither recrystallization nor any
directional orientation and appears to be bedded. The phyllite constitutes the major rock type
in this area, consisting of sericite, chlorite and at times with fine biotite (Fig. 3.10 a).
The sericite schist is exposed in the Bharweli area trending ENE-WSW. The sericite
schist is fine to medium grained. It is greenish to dark grayish black in colour. Sericite
schist grades into medium grained mica schist towards the northern part of the study area.
The mica schist is fine to medium grained and is grey to brownish grey in colour. The sericite
schist is fine grained and contains quartz, flakes of sericite and muscovite. The dimensionally
oriented flakes of sericite, quartz and occasionally muscovite define the schistosity (Fig. 3.10
b).

a b

Fig. 3.10 Field photograph showing (a) crenulated phyllite and (b) sericite schist.

61