Chapter 5 geography
1) what is minerals- homogenous naturally occurring
substances with a definable internal structure.
2) Menerals generally occur in these forms:
In igneous and metamorphic rocks minerals occure
in the cracks, crevices, faults or joints smaller are
called viens and larger are called joints. Major
minerals are zinc, copper and lead etc.
In sedimentary rocks a number of minerals occur in
beds or layers. They have been formed as a result
of deposition, accumulation and concentration in
horizontal strata. Another group of sedimentary
minerals include gypsum, potash salt and sodium
salt.
Another mode of formation involves the
decomposition of surface rocks, and the removal of
soluble constituents, leaving a residual mass of
weathered material containing ores. Bauxite is
formed this way.
Alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and the
base of hills. Its deposits are called ‘placer
deposits’ and generally contain minerals, which are
not corroded by water. Gold, silver, tin and
platinum are most important among such minerals.
The ocean waters contain vast quantities of
minerals, but most of these are too widely diffused
to be of economic significance. However, common
salt, magnesium and bromine are largely derived
from ocean waters. The ocean beds, too, are rich in
manganese nodules.
3) Ferrous minerals- Ferrous minerals account for about
¾ of the total value of the production of metallic
minerals.
o Iron ore- it is the basic mineral and the backbone of
industrial development. Magnetite is the finest iron
ore with a very high content of iron up to 70 per
cent. Hematite ore is the most important industrial
iron ore in terms of the quantity used, but has a
slightly lower iron content than magnetite. (50-60
per cent). Found in Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
Karnataka and Jharkhand.
o Odisha Jharkhand belt
IN ODISHA
high grade hematite (badampur mines in
Mayurbhanj and kendajhar districts
IN JHARKHAND
Singbhum districts mined in Gua and Noamundi
o Durg bastar chandrapur belt- very high grade
hemetite bailadila range of hillls in bastar district of
chhattisgarh and maharashtra it is exported to
japan and south korea via vishakhapatnam port.
o Ballari-Chitradurga-ChikkamagaluruTumakuru belt
in Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore.
Kudremukh deposits are known to be one of the
largest in the world. The ore is transported as
slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangaluru.
o Manganese- Manganese is mainly used in the
manufacturing of steel and ferro-manganese alloy.
It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder,
insecticides and paints.
4) Non-Ferrous ores
o Copper- copper is mainly used in electrical cables,
electronics and chemical industries. The Balaghat
mines in Madhya Pradesh, Khetri mines in
Rajasthan and Singhbhum district of Jharkhand are
leading producers of copper.
o Bauxite- a clay-like substance that alumina and
later aluminium is obtained. India’s bauxite
deposits are mainly found in the Amarkantak
plateau, Maikal hills and the plateau region of
Bilaspur-Katni. Panchpatmali deposits in Koraput
district are the most important bauxite deposits in
the state.
5) Non-Metallic minerals-
o Mica- is a mineral made up of a series of plates or
leaves. It splits easily into thin sheets. . Mica can
be clear, black, green, red yellow or brown. It is
indispensable minerals used in electric and
electronic industries. It is found in the northern
edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Koderma Gaya –
Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand is the leading
producer, in rajasthan( around ajmer ), andra
pradesh( important producer ).
o Rock minerals- limestone- is found in rocks
composed of calcium carbonate and magnesium
carbonate. It is the basic raw material for the
cement industry and essential for smelting iron in
the blast furnace.
6) Conservation of minerals:-
o The total volume of workable mineral deposits is an
insignificant fraction i.e. one per cent of the earth’s
crust.
o We are rapidly consuming mineral resources that
required millions of years to be created and
concentrated.
o The geological processes of mineral formation are
so slow that the rates of replenishment are
infinitely small in comparison to the present rates
of consumption.
o Mineral resources are, therefore, finite and non-
renewable.
o Rich mineral deposits are our country’s extremely
valuable but short-lived possessions.
o Continued extraction of ores leads to increasing
costs as mineral extraction comes from greater
depths along with decrease in quality.
o Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other
substitutes are steps in conserving our mineral
resources for the future.
7) Conventional source of energy
o Coal- lignite is low grade coal and it is soft and
moist . it is found in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu and are
used for generation of electricity.
Bituminous coal is used in commercial use for
smellting iron.
Anthracite coal is high quality hard coal it is
located in Damodar valley (West Bengal
Jharkhand). Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro are important
coalfields. The Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and
Wardha valleys. Tertiary coals occur in the north
eastern states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland.
o Petroleum- anticlines and fault traps in the rock
formations of the tertiary age. In regions of folding,
anticlines or domes, it occurs where oil is trapped
in the crest of the upfold. The oil bearing layer is a
porous limestone or sandstone through which oil
may flow. The oil is prevented from rising or sinking
by intervening non-porous layers. Mumbai High,
Gujarat and Assam are major petroleum production
areas in India. Ankeleshwar is the most important
field of Gujarat. Assam is the oldest oil producing
state of India. Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran-
Hugrijan are the important oil fields in the state.
o Natural gas- Natural Gas is found with petroleum
deposits and is released when crude oil is brought
to the surface. It can be used as a domestic and
industrial fuel. India’s major gas reserves are found
in the Mumbai High and allied fields along the west
coast which are supplemented by finds in the
Cambay basin. Along the East Coast, new reserves
of natural gas have been discovered in the Krishna-
Godavari basin.
o Electricity- Hydro electricity is generated by fast
flowing water, which is a renewable resource. India
has a number of multi-purpose projects like the
Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley corporation, the
Kopili Hydel Project etc. producing hydroelectric
power. Thermal electricity is generated by using
coal, petroleum and natural gas. The thermal
power stations use non-renewable fossil fuels for
eletricity generation.
8) Non conventional source of energy-
o Nuclear or atomic energy- It is obtained by
altering the structure of atoms. When such an
alteration is made, much energy is released in
the form of heat and this is used to generate
electric power. Uranium and Thorium, which are
available in Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of
Rajasthan are used for generating atomic or
nuclear power. The Monazite sands of Kerala is
also rich in Thorium.
o Solar energy- India is a tropical country. It has
enormous possibilities of tapping solar energy.
Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight
directly into electricity. Solar energy is fast
becoming popular in rural and remote areas.
o Wind power- The largest wind farm cluster is
located in Tamil Nadu from Nagarcoil to Madurai.
Apart from these, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep
have important wind farms. Nagarcoil and
Jaisalmer are well known for effective use of
wind energy in the country.
o Biogas- Decomposition of organic matter yields
gas, which has higher thermal efficiency in
comparison to kerosene, dung cake and
charcoal. These provide twin benefits to the
farmer in the form of energy and improved
quality of manure.
o Tidal energy- During high tide water flows into
the inlet and gets trapped when the gate is
closed. After the tide falls outside the flood gate,
the water retained by the floodgate flows back to
the sea via a pipe that carries it through a
power-generating turbine. In India the Gulf of
Khambhat, the Gulf of Kuchchh in Gujarat on the
western coast and Gangetic delta in Sunderban
regions of West Bengal provide ideal conditions
for utilising tidal energy
o Geo thermal energy- Groundwater in such areas
absorbs heat from the rocks and becomes hot. It
is so hot that when it rises to the earth’s surface,
it turns into steam. This steam is used to drive
turbines and generate electricity. Two
experimental projects have been set up in India
to harness geothermal energy. One is located in
the Parvati valley near Manikarn in Himachal
Pradesh and the other is located in the Puga
Valley, Ladakh.
