Rajendram, S. 
  
STRUCTURES CONTROLLED IRON-ORE DEPOSITS OF KANJAMALAI, SALEM, INDIA 
USING IRS-1C DATA 
S.Rajendran, V.A.Chandrasekaran and J.Kannan 
School of Earth Sciences, Bharathidasan University, 
Tiruciirapalt- 620 024. Tamilnadu, INDIA. 
minex@bdu.ernet.in 
KEY WORDS: Structure, Lineament, Lithology, Kanjamalai, Remote Sensing, IRS-1C, Iron Ore Deposits 
ABSTRACT 
“ A comparative study was carried out for the structural discrimination and lithological mapping using IRS-1C 
data and aerial photographs to describe iron ore deposits of Kanjamalai region Tamilnadu, India.. Various 
structural features were identified viz. folds, joints, faults, lineaments and interpreted. It is observed that the 
deposits are controlled by doubly plunging syncline. The lineament study had brought out the joint and fracture 
patterns. The major rock types are magnetite quartzite, pyroxene granulite and gneisses. The field fejationshis 
among the formations indicate that the magnetite quartzite deposits are the oldest in the study area. 
1 INTRODUCTION 
The art of Remote sensing proves to be a boon in various scientific applications especially in the field of 
mineral exploration and resource mapping. It provides information in the form of imageries and aerial photographs 
which cover vast area of earth's surface. The revisit capabilities of the present day satellite. mapping helps to 
understand more about the nature of mineral and ore deposits. 
The directional data are an integral part of . geologic information. The fold axes, joints, strike and other 
- Structural elements exhibit linear pattern on remote sensing data product (Verma, 1993). Thus, after the advent of 
remote sensing, geological interpretation begins from the lab with the aid ofimageries and aerial photo and ends 
with correlating the interpreted data in the field. So, using IRS-1C data and aerial photographs, various structurally . 
related features such as folds, joints and lineaments were identified and the lithological contacts were interpreted 
in order to map the iron ore deposits of the study area. cn AR 
2. STUDY AREA 
The area under investigation is located about 8 km from Salem town, Tamilnadu state and lies between the North 
latitude N 77° 59' --N 78° 08' and East longitude E 11? 34' - E 11?40', covering an area of around 180 sq.km 
(Rajendran, 1999), with an elevation 986 mt above Mean Sea Level. The plains around Kanjamalai (hill) have 
elevation of about 300 mt above Mean Sea Level. It has a total length of 7.2 km from east to west and a width of . 
about 3.2 km. The hill is nearly elliptical with repetition of lithology in northern and southern side. The occurrence of 
iron ore deposits are subjected to intense weathering that has resulted in thick piling of weathered products at 
"foot hill areas. The weathering has produced reddish soils, loamy sand and sandy - soils in the plain ground. The 
fractures in 1 the form of j joints a are also observed in the formations. T 
3 DATA USED IN THE STUDY 
. Base map 1: 12,500 scale by using the Survey of India Toposheet No.58 1/2 of 1981 
. Black and White aerial photographs (NRSA ; 1979 - 1980, scale 1:4,000). 
3. IRS-1C Geocoded data of 1:50 ,000 scale. bet 
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1220 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000.