India has significant iron ore deposits distributed across several states. The major types of iron ore formations in India are banded iron formations from the Precambrian era and laterite ores derived from sub-aerial weathering. The key iron ore minerals are magnetite, hematite, siderite and limonite. India's major iron ore mining districts are located in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa and other states. These deposits were formed by various geological processes including chemical precipitation in ancient sedimentary basins, weathering of parent rocks, magmatic activity and hydrothermal mineralization.

1. Iron ore deposits of India
Seminar
on

2. o Introduction
o Mineralogy
o Types of iron ore formation and
deposits
o Distribution and occurrence
o Conclusion
o Reference

3. Introduction
o Iron is the most indispensable mineral to
man
o It is the second largest element in the
earth’s crust
o Iron is the most abundant metallic element
in the earth’s crust and accounts for 5-6%
of the lithosphere
o Usually it is combined with other elements
such as oxygen and sulphur
o Iron and steel contribute one of the
foundations for modern industrial
civilization

4. Mineralogy

5. MAGNETITE:
HEMATITE:

6. Types of iron formations
Gross in 1965 identified two types of iron formations from
the pre-cambrian, they are:
o Algoma type :
 Dominant in Archean age and characterized by thin banding
and absence of oolitic and granular texture
 Closely associated with volcanic and greywacke sediments
o Superior type :
 Characteristic formation of Proterozoic age
 Closely associated with clastic sediments like quartzite,
dolomite and pelitic rocks without showing an direct
relation with volcanic association

7. Origin and classification of Iron ore deposits:
The iron ore deposits of India can be broadly divided in to
the following six groups on the basis of mode of
occurrence and origin:
o Banded Iron Formation of Pre-Cambrian Age
o Sedimentary iron ore deposits of siderite and limonitic
composition
o Laterite ores derived from the sub-aerial alterations
o Ores formed by magmatic activity
o Titaniferous and vanadiferous magnetites
o Fault and fissure filling deposits

8. 1. Banded Iron Formation of Pre-Cambrian Age:
 The BIF deposits is very well developed in India. The most
common names used are Banded Haematite Quartzite
(BHQ) and Banded Magnetite Quartzite (BMQ).
This belong to Dharwar group of meta-volcanics and
metasediments.
These banded formations were probably formed as
chemical precipitates in partially enclosed sedimentary
basins of back water type.

9. 2. Sedimentary iron ore deposits of siderite and limonitic
composition:
It is also known as Bog iron deposit.
These ores of siderite and limonitic compositions are
found associated with the iron stone shales of lower
Gondwana age
The iron minerals are accumulated as irregular bodies in
stream beds and typically at the bottom levels of bogs and
marshes where lower Gondwana sediments have deposited
along with their organic debris.

10. 3. Laterite ores derived from the sub-aerial
alterations:
Laterite types of iron ores are derived from the sub-aerial
alteration of rocks, such as gneisses, schists, basic lava
under humid tropical conditions.
The ores are generally concentrated at the top as a
resultant alteration product of the iron bearing parent
rocks and consist of oxidised and insoluble rock
constituents.

11. 4. Ores formed by magmatic activity:
A zone of apatite-magnetite rock is found closely
associated with the copper belt of Singhbhum.
These are supposed to have been formed by magmatic
activity associated with pre-Cambrian diastrophic cycle
when the rocks of the shear zone were thrust and intruded
by acid or intermediate igneous rocks.

12. 5. Titaniferous and vanadiferous magnetites:
The vanadiferous-titaniferous magnetite deposits are
associated with gabbroid and ultrabasic rocks.
In Karnataka titaneferous magnetites occur as linear
bands with prominent outcrops in a narrow belt of
Dharwar rocks which are composed of amphibolites
and hornblende schists surrounded by Peninsular
Gneisses and intruded by an ultrabasic complex.

13. 6. Fault and fissure filling deposits:
This type of deposits occur in a fault zone traversing
the gneisses and Cuddapah formation over a length of
several km.
The ore bodies form low hillocks or ridges which
stand out well above the ground and are lens-shaped;
they also form veins and stringers in the fault zone.
The ore is generally haematite and is often slightly
specular in character and also jaspery when it is
siliceous.

14. Distribution and occurrences:
The major deposits of iron ore are located in:
o Jharkhand,
o Orissa,
o Chattisgarh,
o Karnataka
o Maharshtra
o Andhra pradesh
o Goa

15. India map
showing
major
Iron ore
deposits

16. Formation Nature of ore Occurrence
Quaternary Laterite Many states derived from
many
formations including
Deccan Traps
Tertiary
Miocene & Eocene
Ironstone SouthIndia-Travancore,
Malabar etc.
Assam, NE states,
U.P.Kumaon
Gondwana
Barakar
Mahadeva
Triassic
Ironstones & shale
Ironstones & siderite
Siderite
Ironstones & siderite
Haematite & goethite
West Bengal (Birbhum)
Jharkhand-Auranga
coalfield
West Bengal –Raniganj
coalfield
Kashmir
Indian iron ore formation and occurrences:

17. Formation Nature of ore Occurrence
Cuddapah
Bijawar
Gwalior
Haematite &
ferruginous quartzite
Madhya Pradesh-Gwalior,
Indore etc.;
Andhra Pradesh-
Cuddapah
Pre-Cambrian
Basic & ultrabasic
Rock
Granodiorite
Granite
Titaniferous and
vanadiferous magnetite
Apatite magnetite rocks
Magnetites (residual)
Jharkhand-SE Singhbhum;
Orissa-Mayurbhanj;
Karnataka
Singhbhum
Assam-Jaintia Hills;
Karnataka-Kudremukh
Contd…

18. Formation Nature of ore Occurrence
Banded Iron
Formation
Banded Iron
Formation
(metamorphosed)
Haematite (massive,
shaly, powdery etc.)
Magnetite-quartzite
Orissa- Sundergarh,Keonjhar,
Mayurbhanj;
Karnataka - Simoga, Bellary -
Hospet,Dharwar;
Jharkhand - Singhbhun West;
Maharashtra - Ratnagiri and Chandrapur ;
Chhattisgarh-Bastar (Bailadila) and Durg;
Madhya Pradesh – Jabalpur
Tamilnadu - Salem, Tiruchirapalli;
Kerala;
Andhra Pradesh - Guntur ;
Karnataka - Shimoga & Chikmagalur;
Himachal Pradesh - Mandi
Contd…

19. Banded hematite-quartzite Banded hematite-jasper
Octahedral crystals of magnetite, Rajasthan Cubic crystals of pyrite, Rajasthan

20. Banded iron formations

21. The Rajhara Iron Mine of Durg disyrict in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh

22. Conclusion:
Iron has found its usage from a very early part of human
civilization, second only to copper-bronze.
 Haematite and magnetite are the two important iron ores
from which iron is extracted.
Iron is widely in the construction of roads, railways, other
infrastructure, appliances, and buildings.
Iron ore deposits are aalmost found in every state.
However 96% of total reserves are in Orissaa, Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Goa.

23. References:
S.Krishnaswamy (1979) India’s Mineral Resources, Oxford & IBH
Publishing Co., New Delhi, 2nd
Edition, page 257-284
B.P.Radhakrishna (1996) Mineral Resources of Karnataka, Geological
Society of India, Bangalore, page 285-323
Websites:
 www.geology.com
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_ore
 www.google.com
 Detailed Information Dossier (DID) on iron ore in India, Geological
Survey of India, pdf