HALIMUR RASHID

Introduction
A geological field work was arranged for the 1st Year
Geology Honours students of Asutosh College as a
part of University syllabus.The study was essentially a
reconnaissance study observation of the different
litho-units in terms of their location, hand specimen
petrography along with the measurement of
structural data and understanding the modes of
occurrence of the different litho-units and their inter-
relationships. The purpose was also to get acquainted
with the clinometer compass and the marking
oneslocation on the toposheet.
DESCRIPTION OF FIELD AREA
LOCATION :MAITHON,DHANBAD (JHARKHAND)
LATITUDE : 23.76° N
LONGITUDE: 86.79° E
TEMPERATURE: 27-32 ° C (DAY)20-22 ° C (NIGHT)
CLIMAET: QUITE CALM
TOPOGRAPHY: UNEVEN OR UNDULATORY
Location of maithon
TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE FIELD ARE
GEOLOGICAL SETUP OF THE AREA
 The terrain belongs to ChhotoNagpur Gneissic Complex of
Eastern India. It consists mainly of Precambrian granite
gneisses of different varieties, with some sporadic
intrusions of basic to ultramafic rocks. However, in this
terrain younger Gondowana rocks are also present in
isolated linear belts, having a regional east-west trend.
The ChhotoNagpur Gneissic Complex terrain is bordered
by Singhbhum tectonic belt at the north and the Gangetic
alluvium in the south-east. Due to exposure of both older
(Precambrian) and younger (Gondowana) rocks in this
region, it was possible for us to study both metamorphic
and sedimentary rocks at the same time, from their
respective time periods.
The northern part of the area surveyed was formed of
only metamorphic rocks. The southern part
sedimentary rocks.
 Thus we find a lithological boundary between
sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.This lithological
boundary indicates a time-gap or UNCONFORMITY,
between the formation of metamorphic rocks and
deposition of sediments.
 STRATICGRAPHY OF THE STUDY AREA
The rocks found from the field area belong to
Gondwana Supragroup. This is the most important
stratigraphic horizon because of the presence of Coal
in this horizon. The study area belongs to Raniganj
coalfield, which is the eastern most coalfield of
Barakar River Valley. The Raniganj coalfield,
particularly the study area found to overlie
unconformity over the metamorphic rocks belonging
to the Pre-Cambrian age in a block faulted and
gneissose structure. Sedimentary rocks belonging to
Gondwana Supragroup are mostly isolated.
 STRATIGRAPHY OF STUDY AREA
The Maithon region is part of the extension of the Chota
Nagpur plateau formed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks.
Extensive igneous activity led to the formation of the plateau.
These rocks were then metamorphosed to form the rocks we
find today.The amphibolites-gneiss and granite-gneiss found
are part of these Precambrian basement. The basement was
then uplifted due to tectonic activity which opened up a basin
for sedimentation. The basement rocks develop the
deformations probably during this upliftment.
The tectonic activity took several years to occur during which
time no sedimentation took place. After this time-gap,
sedimentation took place and thereafter, digenesis which
formed the sedimentary rocks. These sediments are part of the
Gondwana sediments and much younger than the basement
rocks.The sedimentary rocks also show layering, each layer
corresponding to a definite time period. The coal seams found
further south belong to the raniganj formation.
GENERAL STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE OF THE FIRLD AREA

Lower Gondwana Sequence Supra Panchet (Upper Jurassic)

----------------Unconformity----------------
Panchet (Upper Triassic)
----------------Unconformity----------------
Raniganj Formation (Upper Permian)
Iron Stone Formation (Upper Permian)
Barakar Formation (Lower Permian) (ALLUVIAM SOIL)
Talcher Formation (Lower Permian)
--------------Unconformity----------------
Archaean Basement(precambrian)
GENERAL STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE OF THE FIRLD AREA

---------------------PRE CAMBRIAN-------------------
Dolerite,Pegmatite& Quartz viens
Intrusive Granite
Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss
Porphyroblastic Granite Gneiss
Granite Gneiss
MigmatiticGranite Gneiss
Unclassified Meta Sedimentaries
Amphibolite Hornblende SchistMica Schist, Quartz Mica
Schist
Micaceous Quartz Schist, Quartzite
Recognition of rock types:
Two distinctly different types of rocks occur in the present
study area(some igneous intrution also present). In the
Northern part particularly in the North of Kalyaneshwari
Temple, the rock types are metamorphic and are
represented by Amphibolites and Granite, where in the
Southern part of the area, mostly sedimentary rocks like
Sandstone, Shale, and Coal are found. Metamorphic rocks
occurring in the Northern part belong to Pre-Cambrian
age. The most dominant metamorphic rock is the
Amphibolites, Pyroxenite, occur as minor variant within
their group. Quartz veins are also present with variable
thickness and orientation within the host metamorphic
rocks. Pyroxenite rock body mostly occupies the hillocks
of area, e.g. the Bhander Hill
METAMORPHIC ROCK
:Mainly we have found the mafic
and felsic part of the rocks that
where compositionally segregated
into thin and thick band known as
schistosity or gneissosity bed of the
rock. As the mineralogy of much
the metamorphic rock much not
distinctive from igneous rock to
recognise the metamorphic rock
we have fpound the dominant
composition of biotite, quartz,
amphibole and feldspars. More
over the metamorphic rock texture
was different from the the other
rocks.
SEDIMENTARY ROCK
Due to clastic texture,
presence of framework,
matrix and cement, very
easily sedimentary rock
was recognised there.
Dominant mineralogy is
rounded quartz and
feldspar grains within
siliceous matrix.
IGNEOUS ROCK
mafic igneous rock is found in
MAITHON area and hence the
rocks are dark in
color(melanochratic) and
basically the interlocking
texture is found.DomMostly
inant mineralogy is
biotite,hornblend and
pyroxene with plagioclase
feldspar .
A MEDIUM GRAINED
DOLERITE DYKE(IGNEOUS
INTRUSION) WAS OBSARVED
IN GOROKHNATH MINE
AREA
Some important rock type of study area
•AMPHIBOLITE GNEISS GNEISS:is a high
•XENOLITE grade metamorphic
•MIGMATITE rock,formed at high
•UNAKITE pressure and
temperature deep in
the ground
AMPHIBOLITE GNEISS

AMPHIBOLITE ARE
MOST COMMON
METAMORPHIC ROCK
FORMED BY THE
REGEONAL
METAMORPHISOM
UNDER HIGH PRESSUR
AND HIGH
TEMPERATURE.THIS
METAMORPHOSED
ROCK SHOWING
DARK AND LIGHT
COLOURED GNEISSIC
BAND.
XENOLITH

A XENOLITH IS A PICE
OF ROCK TRAPPED IN
ANOTHER TYPE OF
ROCK .MOST OF THE
TIME A XENOLITH IS A
ROCK EMBEBED IN
MAGMA WHILE THE
MAGMA WAS COOLING.
XENOLITHS ARE
DIFFERENT TYPE OF
ROCK EMBEDED IN
IGNEOUS ROCK.
MIGMATITE

A ROCK COMPOSED OF
TWO INTERMINGLED
BUT DISTINGUISHABLE
COMPONENT,
TYPICALLY A GRANITIC
ROCK WITHIN A
METAMORPHIC ROCK
MIGMATITES
REPRESENT THE
TRANSITION FROM
METAMORPHIC TO
IGNEOUS ROCK IN THE
ROCK CYCLE.
[MIXTURE OF
METAMORPFIC AND
IGNEOUS ROCK]
 UNAKITE

Unakite is a form of
granite(metamorphos
ed by hydrotharmal
condition) that is
made up of pink
feldspar, green
epidote, and clear
quartz. It is usually
found as a mottled
pink and green stone
SOME PRIMAY AND SECONDARY GEOLOGIC
STRUCTURE

PRIMARY STRUCTURES  SECODARY STRUCTURES

(DEFORMATIONAL STRUCTURE)
1. CROSS BEDDING
2. SOLE MARKS
1. FOLDS(SHEATH ,“Z”, )
3. DROP STONE
2. SIGMA STRUCTURE
3. PHI STRUCTURE
4. DELTA STRUCTURE
5. EXFOLIATION
6.PINCH AND SWELL
CROSS BEDDING

They are a set of parallel

inclined bedding
surfaces, bound by two
planarsurfaces. The
truncated top is the
erosional surface and
indicates the
stratigraphic top. The
lower surface merges
asymptotically. The
drifted sandstones on the
exposure on the way to
Kalyaneshwari temple
had poorly developed
cross beddings as shown
in the figure below.
SOLE MARKS

Sole marks are features

that are preserved when
a coarse sand or silt
layer deposits onto
mud. Typically during
deposition of the
sand/silt the flow of the
water erodes pits and
scars into the mud layer
and then these
depressions are later in-
filled with the more
coarse material.
DROP STONE

Dropstones are a
glacial feature that
occur when a stone
that is incorporated
into an iceberg or ice
sheet falls out as it
melts, the block
settles through the
water column and
lands on the sediment
beneath. The
sediment continues to
deposit and covers
the stone.
SHEATH FOLD

DUCTIE FAULTS ALSO

CHARACTERISTICALLY
EXHIBIT EXTENDED
TUBE SHAPED FOLDS
CALLED SHEATH FOLDS
THE LONG DIMENSSION
OF THES FOLD IS
APPROXIMETLY
PARALLEL TO THE
DIRECTION OF SLIP ON
THE DUCTILE FAULT
AND THE COMPLEX
FOLDING RESULTS IN
SHEATHS THAT CAN
CLOSE IN EITHER
DIRECTION
SIGMA STRUCTURE

Mantled
porphyroclast with
thin asymmetric
wings of mantle
material fixed to
opposite sides of the
porphyroclast and
streching into the
matrix,having a
geometry
resembling the
greek letter
sigma(σ)
PHI STRUCTURE

Mantled porphyroclast
with symmetric wings
(no stair stepping is
devloped).they are
most common in
relatively coarse grained
mylonites occuring in
high metamorphic
greade.
DELTA STRUCTURE

Mantled porphyroclast
without wings ,they
have a mantle with
orthrhombic symmetry.
EXFOLIATION
Exfoliation is a form of
mechanical weathering
in which curved plates of
rock are stripped from
rock below. This results
in exfoliation domes or
dome-like hills and
rounded boulders.
Exfoliation domes occur
along planes of parting
called joints, which are
curved more or less
parallel to the surface.it
happens due to
teperature flactuation.
PINCH AND SWEEL

When magmatic
intrusions are
accompanied bylayer
parallelstretching, the
planar intrusion forms
alternate swelling and
pinching structures as
shown in the figure
below. The sill
mentioned above was
penecontemporaneousl
y deformed to form
such structures. Notice
the quartz vein (white)
below the pinch and
swell structure
Paleontological evidence(ichnofossils)

Ichnofossils, also known as

trace fossils, are geological
records of the activities
and behaviors of past life.
Some examples include
rock evidence of nests,
burrows, footprints, and
scat. These fossils are
different from body fossils
that preserve the actual
remains of a body such as
shells or bones.
conclusion
 The fieldwork of 2nd year was aimed at providing a basic knowledge of a
geological field.Starting from pin-pointing our location on a topographic map,
we trudged our way into hands on experience on what are the structural and
petrological associations of a region. In our field location (Maithon), all the
three major types of rock are present. The sedimentary rocks are found along
the banks of Barakar River. They are of Gondowana age. These sedimentary
rocks are mostly composed of sandstones and shales.
 However, these are intruded by basic igneous bodies and have been
metamorphosed to quartzites. Igneous intrusions are also present on the road
towards the reservoir. These intrusions are huge dikes which have
metamorphosed the surrounding rocks to migmatites.
 Further towards north, along the Maithon dam and reservoir, we find
metamorphic rocks like amphibolites and amphibolite gneisses. These are
medium grade metamorphic rocks and show metamorphic textures like
schistosity and gneissosity. Dominant mineralogy of these rocks includes
hornblende and other amphiboles along with quartz, feldspar, and muscovite.
Further north the grade of metamorphism increases and hornblendes along
withbiotite give way to pyroxenes. These are granulite, a grade higher than
amphibolite.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The field report is an amalgamation of the able support of
Dr. ASHISKUMAR DAS, Dr. DIPANJAN MAJUMDER and
Sri. Shankar Prasad Singh and the experiences gathered
during the six days of field work and a first-year student’s
excitement. One cannot thank our teachers enough for
organising such a learning curve for us.
I am thankful to my fellow classmates MUGDHA
TALUKDAR, SOUMI DAS ANS SAYAN SOMdasfor their
help in collecting detailed photographs.