DAY – 1

LOCATION – 1
 Bedded shales which is ferruginized and red in colour
 It was deposited in calm environment
 Oxidizing condition may be prevailing in the past.
 10-15m thick deposition

FIG - Ferruginized bedded shales

LOCATION – 2 14°19’46”N 78°13’31”E

 Pure quartzites are overlain by shales

 These quartzites are of Gulcheru formation
 Many sedimentary structures are observed
 Internal sedimentary structure shows fining upward sequence
 Laminated sandstone formed in shore line
 Some wave ripples are observed which have very low amplitude
 These wave ripples are formed in tidal environment within 10’s of
metres of depth
 Microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS)
 MISS contains stromatolites ( which shows presence of life)

FIG – Microbially induced sedimentary structures

LOCATION – 3 14°18’57”N 78°12’6”E

 Basement rocks – leucocratic grey granite

 Formed by collision of Eastern Dharwar Craton with Western Dharwar
Craton

LOCATION – 4
 Top of hill quartzite boulders are there
 Contact of granite and quartzite
 Uplift might have occurred because of faulting
 Nonconformity may be present
 We traversed across the strike towards the up dip (older rocks )

LOCATION – 5 14°21’11”N 78°14’52”E

 Dominant lithology - Dolomite ( stromatolites)

 Calcareous shales / marls are also present which indicates it is shallowing
upwards
 Rhythmic deposition between dolomite and vempalle marls ( calcareous
shales )
 Syn - sedimentary deformation
LOCATION – 6 14°35’36”N 78°21’14”E

 Stromatolitic dolomites
 Columnar stromatolitic colonies
 Bedded stromatolitic dolomites
 Black colour – higher organic content
 Foliation plane attitude 85°/20°N
 Recrystallised dolomites

LOCATION – 7 14°29’12”N 78°17’52”E

 Rock type – stromatolitic dolomites

 Long 20km gabbro sill intruding vempalle formation
 We cannot see the contact relationship between host phase and guest
phase
 Age of intrusion – 1885 my

LOCATION – 8 14°22’20”N 78°20’56”E

 Pulivendla quartzite forms the basement of this formation

 Lithological boundary between vempalle formation and pulivendla
quartzite is exposed
 Polymictic conglomerate was found which consists of clasts from
basement granite , gulcheru formation and vempalle formation
 Sedimentation of vempalle and pulivendla formation have a huge gap
which is marked by the presence of polymictic conglomerate
 Mafic sill which has intruded the vempalle formation may have intruded
the pulivendla formation
 Figure showing polymictic conglomerate

DAY – 2
LOCATION -1 14°28’59”N 78°8’19”E

 Pulivendla formation ( black soil)

 Serpentine is found
 Calcium concretion ( vempalle dolomites )
 Contact metamorphism by an intrusion of mafic sill
 Moving to the south we find pulivendla quartzite
 Texturally mature quartzite is found which indicates either marine or
Aeolian environment of deposition
 Attitude of quartz arenite surface - a. 310°/12° NE b. 305°/16°NE
 Sedimentary structures observed –
 alternate coarse and fine grained
 parallel laminated thinly bedded sandstone
 ripple marks preserved
 Amalgamation of bedding → truncation of bed
 Bi directional current→ marine origin
 Clasts of chert of vempalle formation→ indicates provenance
 Migration of megaripples →amplitude = 22cm
 Current direction – N40°E
 SECOND CROSS BEDDING – current direction 230° (bidirectional )
 Figure showing alternate fine and coarse grained sediments

LOCATION – 2 14°25’9”N 78°13’33”E

 Vempalle dolomite bed rock

 Spheroidal weathering of dolerite and gabbro
 Horizon of mafic sill → trend = 143° - 325°
 Southern flank → contact between pulivendla quartzite and vempalle
shales
 Northern flank →contact between pulivendla quartzite and pulivendla
shales

LOCATION – 3 14° 28’21”N 78°7’47”E

 In-situ exposure of dolomites

 Elephant skin weathering
 Rhythmic dolomite - 14°28’17”N 78°7’47”E
 Limestone quarrying - 14°28’8”N 78°7’39”E
 Base of hillock – stromatolitic bioherms
 Figure showing elephant skin weathering in dolostone

LOCATION – 4
 Agates coagulated
 Sandsized grains →shallow water deposits
 Intercalations
 Chert are also found
 Domal structure of stromatolites observed = 14°27’53”N 78°7’32”E

Figure showing domal structure of stromatolites

DAY – 3

LOCATION - 1 14°29’37”N 78°7’0”E

 Contact between pulivendla shales and pulivendla quartzites ( quartzites

with numerous cherts)

 Parallel lamination / quasi parallel lamination are observed

Figure showing quasi parallel lamination

 Hummocky cross stratification →convex upwards→ stormy environment
 Swaley cross stratification →concave upwards →very high energy
condition
 In stormy condition fine sediments will scoop upon coarser sediments
 Very deep storm wave base
 Mud cracks and ripples are sign of emergence
 Typically dessication cracks emerged in surface of fluctuating sea level

Figure of dessication cracks

 Parting lineation → mica forms parallel to current →300 °- 120°
 Parting lineation sometimes represent paleo shore line
 Mega wave ripples always parallel to shore line
 Fining upward →conglomerate forms lens within sandstone beds
 It can be fluvial or marine conglomerate
 Fluvial is aligned in one direction whereas marine conglomerate will have
a very high lenticularity index
 Hence it can be inferred that the polymictic conglomerate is of
intraformational origin
 Lag deposit at base due to loss in current velocity represents that cherts
are constituent of lag deposits in conglomerates.
 Basically the constituents are quartz and feldspar indicating the
provenance rock may be of granitic origin
 Top of hill is composed of quartzite
 Mafic intrusive body is found ( 14°29’25”N 78°6’50”E)
 Basalt forms base of pulivendla quartzite it means it is formed during
rifting
 Other side of hill consists of amygdules of basalt representing subaerial
eruption
 Basalt quartzite intercalations are formed typically in rifted margins
 Pulivendla basin is a rifted basin

LOCATION – 2 14°29’24”N 78°6’50”E

 Evidence of contact metamorphism

 Coarse grained quartzite
 Ferruginous in nature
 Found below the mafic volcanics
 Plane bedded quartzites are also found
 Conglomeritic bed affected by contact metamorphism
 Altered gabbro found after the sedimentation ( 14°29’19”N
78°6’47”E)
 Hill lock 2 (14°29’17”N 78°6’45” E)
 Volcanic flow→ fine grained and vesicles indicating subaerial flow (
14°29’14”N 78°6’45” E )
 Base of the hill →contact between vempalle dolostone and mafic
intrusive rock ( 14°29’11”N 78°6’43” E)
 Weathering of limestone or dolostone has occurred
 This dolostone is composed of sparite
 Attitude - 295°/15°N ( 14°29’11” N 78°6’43”E )

LOCATION – 3

 Southern contact of mafic intrusives ( 14°28’53”N 78°6’39” E )

 Massive gabbro is found
 Thin limestone terrain intruded by mafic intrusives ( gabbro)
 Some dolomites are recrystallized giving a perforation texture as an
alteration result caused due to the contact between mafic intrusive and
dolomitic limestone terrain
 Alternation is caused due to acidic fluid action
 Calcrene or perforated texture indicates contact metamorphism or
hydrothermal process

LOCATION – 4
 Contact between mafic intrusives and vempalle shales
(14°28’51”N 78°6’36” E)
 Originally basin was deep and then emerged
 Red colour shale due to oxidation condition at water surface
interface
 Shales → stromatolitic dolostones →thinnly laminated dolostones
( shallowing of basin regressive basin )

LOCATION – 5 14°28’41”N 78°6’34”E

 As we are going updip we get vempalle dolostones

 These limestones are older than shales
 Stromatolitic dolomites having domal structures are observed
(14°28’32”N 78°06’30”E)
 Cabage structures in stromatolitic dolomites
 Figure showing cabage structure of stromatolitic dolomites

 Crinky lamination is present alongwith domal structure which

shows shallow marine environment and domal strutcture shows
deep marine environment
 Figure showing crinky lamination along with domal structure

LOCATION – 6 14°28’20”N 78°6’26”E

 Both domal and columnar stromatolitic structures are present

 These stromatolitic colonies form barrier reef
 Rimmed shelf like structures

Figure showing columnar stromatolites

 DAY – 4
LOCATION – 1 14°30’18”N 78°6’26”E

 Upper contact of pulivendla quartzite and pulivendla shales

 When the sediments are taken into turbulent flow structureless rocks are
found it indicates stormy environment

Figure showing Bifurcation in crest line indicates wave ripples and these
wave ripples are of low amplitude and are formed in tidally flat
enviroment
 Columnar stromatolites having MISS in it is found

Figure showing microbially induced sedimentary structure

 The substrates containing stromatolites can be carbonate phosphate
sometimes clastic also
 Amalgamation of diversely produced beds in different environment
(315°/18°NE)
 Cross bedded conglomerate is found due to flow process (not dumped) in
fluvial environment

 MISS structure are also found in polymictic conglomerate

 Weathered green mud→paleosol
 Mafic volcanic flow ( 14°30’14”N 78°6’22”E) exclusive in nature
indicated by amygdules amd vesicles
 Basalt is erupted in a subaerial condition , there is a time gap in
deposition and weathering took place too ,then pulivendla quartzite was
deposited

LOCATION – 2
 Polymictic conglomerate ( 14°30’9”N 78°6’19”E ) comprising
fragments of basalt which is of earlier generation
 Contact between polymictic conglomerate and basalt ( 14°30’8”N
78°6’17” E )
 Southern most contact of mafic flow ( 14°30’ 5”N 78°6’13”E )
 Weathered part of dolostone ; contact between mafic volcanic unit and
vempalle dolostone ( 14°30’2’N 78°6’6”E)
 Fault is indicated by indicated by the cementation of limestone
 In nearby areas there are loose limestones,but near to it , it was
cemented and it may be fault breccia , so there may be a fault
 Trend of fault – NNE-NNW (14°29’53”N 78° 5’ 35”E )

LOCATION – 3
 Stromatolitic dolostones (14°29’47” N 78°5’23”E)
 Limestone shows white tone
 Attitude - 325°/ 17° NE
 LOCATION – 4
 Contact between vempalle and gulcheru formation (14°30’25”N
78°0’45”E)
 Lithology – red shale (vempalle formation )

LOCATION – 5
 Actual Contact between gulcheru quartzite and vempalle formation ( 14°
30’32”N 78°0’16”E)
 Attitude of quartzite - 320°/15° NE

LOCATION – 6

 Base of hill weathered granite are found

 At the top of hill there is a thin layer of gulcheru quartzite
 Basement is 2.5 Ga yrs old
 This is equivalent to clospet granite
 Basement complex rift apart 2 by ago which gave rise to papaghni
formation
 Fragments of older greenstone belts are found within the basement
granite and polymictic conglomerate

LOCATION – 7
 Polymictic conglomerate ( 14 ° 35’ 4”N 75°56’ 4” E )

LOCATION – 8
 Contact between tadapatri shlaes and dolomites ( 14°30’57”N 78°
7’7” E)
 This is to the north of pulivendla quartzites
LOCATION – 9
 Coarse grained gabbro( 14°31’0”N 78V7’15”E )

Figure showing Sill emplaced in tadapatri shales

 Age of intrusion – 1885 my which is youngest of all three

formations
DAY – 5
LOCATION – 1 14°23’12”N 78° 13’3”E

 Limestone ( vemapalle dolostone ) formed in deep subtidal condition

 Parallel lamination with shale partings

Figure showing Domal Stromatolites

LOCATION – 2
 Lot of columnar stromatolites formed in shallow subtidal condition

 Stromatolitic dolomites ( 14°23’0”N 78°13’1”E )

 In between the microbial domes chert is present ( 315°/ 12° NE)
LOCATION – 3
 Wavy layers , crinky laminations ,algal mat ( 14°22’58”N 78°13’2”E )
 Formed in intertidal environment

Figure showing deposition over ripple marks

LOCATION – 4 14°32’10’’N 78°13’5”E

 Chert on microcolumnar stromatolites secrecting silica

 Consortium of minerals
 Parallel laminated mud →deep water
 Calcareous mud → lagoonal mud→ intertidal setting
 Limestone intercalated with red shale

LOCATION – 5 14°21’53’N 78°13’2”E

 Lower part of vempalle formation ( shallow water facies)

 Upper part – deep water facies
 3.9 km thick gap in deposition
LOCATION – 6 14°20’40”N 78°12’18”E

 Contact between gulcheru quartzite and vempalle dolostone

 No polymictic conglomerate is found regularly

LOCATION – 7 14°20’11”N 78°12’2”E

 Contact between gulcheru quartzites and basement granite

 Light coloured leucogranite →crustal melt – 2.5 Ga
 Rich in uranium , thorium and potassium

LOCATION – 8 14°19’11”N 78°15’38’E

 Near uranium mines hosted by vempalle dolostones

 Lower most portion of the vempalle dolostones

Figure showing Lots of mud crack is present in red shales

LOCATION -9 14°19’16’N 78°15’36”E

 Uranium minearlisation is seen in vempalle dolostone

 Lower band of dolostone (~1m)is separated from the upper band of
dolostone (~7-8m) by conglomerate marker horizon
 Thickness of conglomerate is 12 metres (approx.) and it is fluvial
conglomerate
  Clasts of quartzite and granite are observed in conglomerate

LOCATION – 10 14°19’22”N 78°15’39”E

 Low grade uranium is associated with phosphatic dolostones

 Dip slope of mud cracks →all limestones are mineralised.