Asbestos mineralization in Vempalli formation near Somasila village, Kolhapur Mandal, Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, India Yadaiah S.1,*, Prabhakar G.1, Ishrath2 1Department of Geology, Osmania University, Hyderabad 2TSWRDCW, Jagatgirigutta *E-mail: soppari.syg@gmail.com
Online published on 2 August, 2023. Abstract Asbestos mineralization is found localized in massive serpentinite and dolomite horizons at the contact layers in cross folded portions of the ultramafic bodies. Dolomite is observed as the host rock for asbestos mineralisation in the Vempalli Formation, Cuddapah Supergroup which covers the area of Somasila, Rampur, Pentlavelli, Balapamgattu Chinnampalli in Kolhapur mandal in Nagarkurnool district. The fibrous stratiform asbestos extends over 1.5 kilometers along the strike. Study reveals that the formation of asbestos has taken in the ultrabasic and metamorphic rock formations at Somasila and the surrounding areas. The asbestos samples ingreen dolomites were collected and analyzed by XRF for evaluating the major oxides and trace elementsin the samples. Fibre development is suggested to be a dynamo-thermal process in structure-restricted zones of secondary serpentinisation in the serpentinised ultramafic body.Before being subjected to analysis they were checked for impurities like Calcite, & Quartz under the microscope. The major constituents of asbestos viz. SiO2 (42.50%) and MgO (40.15%) and their ratios are almost equal in all the samples. CaO (0.53%) and FeO (0.70%) are very less. Na2O(0.02%) & K2O (0.001%) occur as traces. Analysis of trace elements in the asbestos samples shows significantly high Zn (76 ppm) values.The study reveals that the magnesium rich hydrated silicate is crystotile.Only chrysotile occurs in the asbestiform habit. Of the amphiboles amosite and crocidolite occur only in the asbestiform habit, while tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite occur in both asbestiform and non-asbestiform habits (USGS, 2001). Top Keywords Asbestos, Dolomite, Mineralization, Genesis, Nagar Kurnool. Top |