Geology of Maharashtra

GEOLOGY OF MAHARASHTRA
The State of Maharashtra encompasses on area of 307713 sq.km. Out of which
likely mineral bearing area is about 58465 sq.km. i.e. 19% of the total area of the State.
Divisionwise distribution of mineral bearing area is
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 of the State forms a part of the “Peninsular Shield”, which is composed of rocks
commencing from the most ancient rocks of diverse origin, which have undergone considerable
metamorphism. Over these ancient rocks of Precambrian era lie a few basins of Proterozoic
era and of permocarboniferous periods which are covered by extensive sheets of horizontally
bedded lava flows comprising the Deccan trap. More than 80% area of the State is covered by
these Deccan trap, which have concealed geologically older formations. The most important
economic minerals such as coal, iron ore, manganese ore, limestone, etc. are found in the
geologically older formations.

STRUCTURE : Structurally, the entire area of the state forms a part of the “Peninsular Shield”
of India which represents a fairly stable block of earth crust that has remained unaffected by,
mountain building movements, since the advent of the Palaeozoic era. Some of the
subsequent movements in the crust have been of the nature of normal and block faulting which
have laid down certain portions bounded by tensional cracks of faults giving rise to basins in
which sedimentary beds of the Gondwana age have been deposited. Particularly in the
Vidarbha region giving rise to the the important limestone as Penganga beds and coalfields of
the Pench-Kanhan valley, the Umred – Bander field the Wardha valley and Vidarbha valley. It is
generally accepted that the Western coast has been formed as a result of the faulting. Along
this coast from Ratnagiri to Mumbai, and further north in Thane district there exists a series of
hot springs arranged almost in linear fashion which suggests that they are situated on a line of
fracture. Further evidence regarding the formation of west coast by faulting is offered by the
Western Ghats comprising Deccan trap lava flows, which are several hundred metres thick near
the coast and which gradually thins out east wards. Near Panvel, near the west coast the
Deccan traps show westerly slopes indicating designated as Panvel flexure.

Association of Economic Minerals with Gological Formations and their Geographic

Distributions in the State
An intimate knowledge of geological formations and their geographic distribution provides a very
important clue not only to the occurrence of minerals, but also forms the basis on which all
future search for economic minerals could be based. From the genetidc and structural point of
view, there is a definite relation between the geological formations or rock types in any region
and the type of economic minerals that are associated. Thus, the most important iron ore and
manganese ore deposits of India occur closely associated with the formations of Precambrian
era and the most important limestone and dolomite deposits are associated with the rocks of
Penganga, Pakhal and Kaladgi groups. Similarly, the most important coalfields are associated
with the sedimentary rocks of the Gondwana sequence. The important oil deposits of India are
associated with rock formations of the Tertiary period and so on. It is, therefore, of prime
importance to know intimately the nature of occurrence and distribution of different geological
formations that occur in the various parts of the State in order to have a proper knowledge of the
potentialities of mineral wealth and for guiding the search for future location of mineral deposits.

The stratigraphical sequence of the various rock formations that occur in Maharashtra State and
the important minerals that are associated with each formation are shown in the Table given
below :
TABLE
Time units (Period) Type rock formation Associated mineral
1 2 4
Recent, Sub-Recent and Alluvium Laterite Soil Sand etc. Kankar, Brick and pottery clay,
Pleistocene Tertiary sediments lignite, shales sand illmenite,inferior grades of
Miocene-Pliocene iron ore and manganese ore,
ochres, bauxite lithomarge, etc.
Clays, Lignite
Lower Eocene-upper Deccan trap with the Building stone road meatal,
cretaceous intertrappeans and infratrappeans inferior limestone, agate, jasper,
(Lametas, Bagh beds) opal, rock crystal, calcite,
zeolites, gypsum etc.
Jurassic (Upper Gondwana) Limestone, Chikiala and kota Limestone
formation
Triassic Clays, Sandstones and Maleri Sandstone and clays
formation
Permian (Lower Gondwana) Sandstone and shales Mangli beds Clays
Sandstone and Shales Kamthi
formation. Micaceous sandstone
with clays.
Motur formation (Sandstone and Coal fire clays
Shale). Barakar formation
(Sandstone Carbonaceous shale
and coal)
Upper Carboniferous Talchir formation ----
Pre-Cambrian Limestone, Shales and Sandstones Limestone, Fluorite
(prenganga beds). Limestone, Baryte
Limestone and shales (Pakhal Limestone, Clays, Glass sand,
group). foundry sand
Sandstones, limestone Manganese ore, calcitic and
Conglomerates, quartzites and dolomitic crystalline marble,
shales (Kaladgi Group). quartz
Sausar Group
Dongargarth Group/Sakoli Group, Iron ore, Chromite, Tungsten
Iron ore Group ores, Copper ore, Zinc ore, Gold
Manganese ore, Kyanite,
Sillimanite, Corundum,
Pyrophylite etc.
Precambrian (Older) Older Schists and gneisses Barytes, chromite, felspar,
(unclassified crystallines) sillimanite, quartz, soapstone,
antimony, corundum, copper,
mica, etc.