Loveson, V.J. (2004) Zircon and ilmenite from the beach placers of southern coast of Tamil Nadu, east coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 33 (2). pp. 138-149. ISSN 0379-5136

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Abstract

Zircons were studied from the two different zones of enrichment of placer deposits namely, Kanyakumari-Kuttankuli (KK) and Kallar-Vaippar (UP) along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu. The average heavy mineral contents were 67 wt% for KK and 64 wt% in VP region. The heavy mineral assesmblage of the two zones were akin to each other. However, monazite was resent in the KK region. In KK, zircons were rounded (44.5 – 63.2%), overgrown (4.1-16%), and euhedral (9-4.9 %) while in VP, they are largely broken (47.8-59.6%), rounded (22.2-38.9 %), and euhedral (7.3-8.1 %). Mean length and breadth of zircons of KK and UP ranged from 0.22-0.26 mm and 0.07-0.13 mm and 0.06 – 0.16 mm and 0.07-0.11 mm, respectively. Zircons of VP are more fine-grained and well-rounded than KK. The northerly currents, in the Gulf of mannar, must have transported and deposited the heavy minerals due to the inflection of coastline, and downwarped basinal structure. REE pattern of zircons exhibit Eu and Ce anomalies which could be explained only in terms of crystallochemical factors and the bulk compositional differences of the melt. In the study area, abundance of rounded zircons, length/breadth (L/B) ratios, reduced major axis (RMA) angles, indicated that the source rock for zircons must have been primarily of charnockites. The distribution, composition and REE content of zircons compare well with that of other countries where it is currently under exploitation.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Zircons, ilmenite, beach placers,REE
Subjects:	Beach Placer Mining
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Dr. Satyendra Kumar Singh
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2012 07:22
Last Modified:	04 Feb 2012 07:22
URI:	http://cimfr.csircentral.net/id/eprint/864

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