First reporting of REE rich stream sediments and soil samples from Chhota

Udepur district of Gujarat and Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh.

More Nilesh Madhukar 1* and Ishwar Yadav2
2.

1. Geological Survey of India, SU: Gujarat, Gandhinagar, WR

Presently posted at Geological Survey of India, SU: Haryana, Faridabad, NR
*nileshmore1987@gmail.com

As part of National Geochemical Mapping (NGCM) Programme of State Unit: Gujarat, WR

for field season 2012-13 carried out in toposheet no. 46J/03 falling in parts of Vadodara District,
Gujarat and Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh was systematically sampled. The objective of the
item was to create a geochemical database using multi-element, multi-method analysis and
geochemical mapping for taking up further mineral exploration.
The area comprises of granite gneiss of Archaean to Palaeo Proterozoic age, and
metasediments of the Champaner Group of Aravalli Supergroup. These older rocks are intruded
by Godhra granite of Neo-Proterozoic age and by several dykes and sills of Deccan Volcanics of
Upper Cretaceous to Eocene age. (Fig.1) The granite gneisses exposed in the area are highly
foliated. The Champaner group comprises of marble, calc-silicate rock, impure dolomite,
micaceous quartzite, and quartz-mica schist. Thin bands of calc-silicate rocks are exposed in the
south and southwestern part of the area. Quartzite is highly fractured and silicified.
On the basis of textural and mineralogical variation, modal abundance and colour index the
Godhra granite has been classified in five different units as a) Older ( Pre-Champaner and
Champaner) Granite Gneiss: (Bt-Ms-Kfs-Pl-Qt) b) Foliated (Syn-tectonic) granite and
migmatite: c) Porphyritic to non- porphyritic Biotite granite (Grey Granite: Bt-Kfs-Pl-Qt: Pl
>Kfs) d) Coarse Pink Granite: (Bt-Kfs-Pl-Qt: Pl <Kfs) e) Tourmaline Bearing Granite
Pegmatite: (Tr-Bt-Pl-Kfs-Qt) (Plate 1,a-d)
Sengupta and Guha (2009) and Srikarni (2010) studied the granitoid of Chhota Udepur and
had suggested a crystallization age of 941Ma by Rb-Sr systematic, thereby indicating that they
are equivalent to Godhra Granite. The Godhra granites are highly intruded by the quartz veins
and basic dykes & sills. The analysis of samples of gneissic suite from the suspected basement
gneisses did not yield any age because of the inherent inhomogeneity and its altered nature.
Bed rock samples of Godhra granitoid have indicated REE values ranging from 285.69
ppm to 486.48 ppm (Srikarni, 2006)
The chemical results of 24 nos. of composite stream sediments samples collected on 2 km x 2
km grid and 3 nos. of soil samples collected on 5'x5' grid shows anomalous REE values over

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Geological Survey of India, SU: Gujarat, Gandhinagar.

the grey granite and pink granitte varieties of

o Godhra granite
g
expossed towards north of Chhhota
Udepur.

valuees in 24 com
mposite streeam sedimennts samples ranges from
m 1000 to ~5200
~
The REE
ppm oveer grey graniite, pink graanite and quartzite whilee in 3 soil saamples colleected from booth C
horizon i..e. soil horizo
on (bottom portion)
p
and R horizon i.ee. regolith zoone (top portiion) shows REE

values raanging from 1000 to 16000 ppm overr granite, pinnk granite & porphyriticc granite varriants
of Godhrra granite. Itt is inferred that
t
soil deveelop over vaarieties of Goodhra Granitee is enrichedd with
REEs. The
T enrichm
ment of REEs in soil sampples is inferreed to the ionic or ion-adssorption typee REE
enrichmeent in associaation with weathered graanites. Hencee these varietties of Godhhra Granite can be
studied foor prospectin
ng of REE miineralization point of view
w. (Fig 1)

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G
Geological
l Survey off India, SU
U: Gujarat, Gandhinaagar.

Plate 1. Streams sed

diments overr these varieeties of grannites shows anomalous
a

REE
valuees (a)
Sheared granite
g
gneisss, (b) Porphhyritic pink granite,
g
(c) Grey
G
granite. (d) Pink grranite.

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G
Geological
l Survey off India, SU
U: Gujarat, Gandhinaagar.