Implications of ~1330-1270 Ma Tectono-thermal Imprints on Uranium Mineralisation in Bhima Basin and Northern Parts of Cuddapah Basin H.K.

Sabot, K.K. Achar, P.V. Ramesh Babu, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Hyderabad ABSTRACT Recent correlation studies of Proterozoic, highly potential uranium provinces of Cuddaph and Bhima basins of South India revealed an interesting featurea ~1330-1270 Ma tectono-thermal (mineralization) epoch, confined to a ~400 km-long E-W to ENE-WSW trending older, deep-seated, reactivated fracture-lineament (roughly bound by 160 25 N160 55 N latitudes) in granitic basement with imprints of ductile to brittle deformation accompanied by hydrothermal alteration (sericitisation, chloritisation, epidotisation). A number of basic dykes, kimberlites, lamproites, alkaline plutonism/ magmatism, and hydrothermal fracture-controlled uranium and copper-lead-zinc mineralization are found along this structurally weak zone/ corridor (i.e. KuralgereGogiKotakondaRamadugu PenevellaChitrialLambapurKoppunuruRallavagu TandaRamanapeta tract. This tectono-thermal feature is an older-basement megafracture zone that was reactivated during 1400-1100 Ma Eastern Ghat orogenic event. It also records a younger Eastern Ghat (Pan-African) orogenic event (480-520 Ma) related to Gondwanaland amalgamation. These are evident from the field settings (outcrop patterns, borehole RLs, supported by aerospace data), geochronological (isotopic and chemical ages), structural aspects (E-W & NW-SE), modes of occurrence, petrographic (fractured/ mylonitised granites) and geochemical data (mostly low-Ca, peraluminous, within plate A-type granitoids with higher LREE dominating over HREE etc. patterns). We infer that this 1330-1270 Ma tectono-thermal imprint had resulted in hydrothermal fracture-controlled, uranium mineralization (1327170 Ma, Sm-Nd age) with mostly flat, peneconcordant mineralised bodies blanketing the unconformity in Penevella-Amrabad-Chitrial-Peddagattu tract, that was fortuitously preserved towards east due to deposition of Srisailam quartzites (SQ) immediately afterwards. In contrast, the Umineralization in Gogi area (Bhima Basin) is of discordant, epigenetic, polycyclic, fracture-controlled vein-type traversing both granitoids and limestones/ shales, implying Bhima Basin of older age (1400-1330 Ma) than Srisailam Sub-Basin (1330-1260 Ma). A younger (480-520 Ma) epigenetic mineralising event, caused during post-Kurnool deformation/ thrusting as a consequence of Pan-African Gondwanaland amalgamation, is evident both in Srisailam and Palnad sub-basins respectively in Lambapur (498-552 Ma UPb age) and Koppunuru (~520 Ma) areas, as deciphered from deformation/ mineralising event (53025 Ma, K-Ar) in the neighbouring Markapur slates and U-mineralisation (44629 Ma and 133614 Ma) in Gulcheru Quartzite of Gandi-Madyalabodu area. In Bhima Basin, besides the above older (~1150-1330 Ma) epigenetic fracturecontrolled uranium mineralization (related to emplacement of ~1100 Ma kimberlites and lamproites at the intersection of E-W and NW-SE fractures/ lineaments), poly-metallic and repeated tectono-thermal/ mineralising events during Pan-African (480-533 Ma) and postDeccan (62 Ma) times resulted in still richer uranium-mineralisation, as evident from geochronological, petro-mineragraphic and paleomagnetic data. (Published in Abstract volume of AMD-MSI National Symposium in Aug. 2009 at Hyd.)