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Ilmenite from the Chavara deposit, India: a critical evaluation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

C. Ramakrishnan ,
R. Mani  and
D. S. Suresh Babu
C. Ramakrishnan
Affiliation:
Centre for Earth Science Studies, P.B. No. 7250, Thuruvikkai P.O., Trivandrum-695 031, India
R. Mani
Affiliation:
Centre for Earth Science Studies, P.B. No. 7250, Thuruvikkai P.O., Trivandrum-695 031, India
D. S. Suresh Babu
Affiliation:
Centre for Earth Science Studies, P.B. No. 7250, Thuruvikkai P.O., Trivandrum-695 031, India
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Abstract

The mineralogical status of ilmenite from a prominent modern placer deposit of India is illustrated using different techniques. Compositional, powder XRD, TGA and SEM analyses prove that consistent low temperature alteration took place in Chavara ilmenite leading to the formation of a pseudorutile-hydrated-ilmenite stage. Except for the indication of a geochemical zonation at the southern tip of the deposit, the Chavara ilmenite points to a common origin throughout its 22 km stretch along the coast. We advocate a major segregation activity by marine factors to the accumulated sediments in the shelf zone in order to originate such a huge deposit of homogeneous composition.

Keywords

ilmeniteweathering/alterationplacerChavaraKerala
Type
Mineralogy
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 61 , Issue 405 , April 1997 , pp. 233 - 242
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1997

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Footnotes

*

Department of Geology, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar-608 002, India.

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