A total of 103 surface sediment samples collected from the water depth range of 15-3300 m along Vijaydurg-Karwar stretch of central west coast of India were analyzed for foraminiferal content. Relict benthic foraminif...A total of 103 surface sediment samples collected from the water depth range of 15-3300 m along Vijaydurg-Karwar stretch of central west coast of India were analyzed for foraminiferal content. Relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage was noted within 50--135 m water depth. The relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage that includes Amphistegina, Operculina and Alveolinella in sediment samples within the water depth of 85-- 135 m indicates presence of coral reef at this depth during Early Holocene. The presence of barnacle fouling on Relict foraminifera at 60--90 m confirms the paleo-shoreline. The shallow depth zone is characterized by presence of agglutinated relict foraminifera. The agglutinated forms indicate freshwater influx, which eventually increased the sea level and subsequently deteriorated the paleo-coral reef.展开更多
Limestone is one of the essential raw materials in the cement,paint,steel,ceramic,glass,chemical,pharmaceutical,paper,and fertilizer industries.In India,only 8%of the limestone resources are placed under the reserve c...Limestone is one of the essential raw materials in the cement,paint,steel,ceramic,glass,chemical,pharmaceutical,paper,and fertilizer industries.In India,only 8%of the limestone resources are placed under the reserve category,of which 97%is of cement grade.Thus,India depends on imports to bridge the demand‐supply gap of steel,blast furnace,and chemical‐grade limestone.Efforts of Geological Survey of India(GSI)to locate alternate sources for limestone led to the discovery of enormous quantities of carbonate minerals called limemud from the continental shelf margin of the west coast of India.GSI carried out systematic studies to explore the nature of the disposition,quality,quantity,and suitability of the offshore limemud for various industrial applications.A preliminary estimate of resources using high‐resolution subbottom profiling and sediment core sample studies established the occurrence of more than 172 billion tonnes of high‐grade(The content of CaCO3 is greater than 80 wt%)limemud in 0.4–28.0m thick stratified sediment layers spread over an area of 18000 km2.Chemical,physical,mineralogical,beneficiation,and agglomeration studies found the offshore limemud as a potential replacement for limestone in the cement,filler,blast furnace,steel melting shop,lime production,paint,and Grade‐I steel industries.An assessment of mining and transportation costs indicates that the offshore limemud(USD 5–6/ton)is more cost‐effective than that imported from other countries(USD16‐18/ton).With several advantageous factors like low impurity,mode of occurrence in overburden‐free stratified form,fine‐grained slurry nature,and shallow water depth,sustainable mining of offshore limemud could be a future reality with controllable technological,economic,and environmental challenges.展开更多
文摘A total of 103 surface sediment samples collected from the water depth range of 15-3300 m along Vijaydurg-Karwar stretch of central west coast of India were analyzed for foraminiferal content. Relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage was noted within 50--135 m water depth. The relict benthic foraminiferal assemblage that includes Amphistegina, Operculina and Alveolinella in sediment samples within the water depth of 85-- 135 m indicates presence of coral reef at this depth during Early Holocene. The presence of barnacle fouling on Relict foraminifera at 60--90 m confirms the paleo-shoreline. The shallow depth zone is characterized by presence of agglutinated relict foraminifera. The agglutinated forms indicate freshwater influx, which eventually increased the sea level and subsequently deteriorated the paleo-coral reef.
基金Geological Survey of India(Data collected as part of annual field programme of Geological Survey of India,Ministry of Mines,Government of India)。
文摘Limestone is one of the essential raw materials in the cement,paint,steel,ceramic,glass,chemical,pharmaceutical,paper,and fertilizer industries.In India,only 8%of the limestone resources are placed under the reserve category,of which 97%is of cement grade.Thus,India depends on imports to bridge the demand‐supply gap of steel,blast furnace,and chemical‐grade limestone.Efforts of Geological Survey of India(GSI)to locate alternate sources for limestone led to the discovery of enormous quantities of carbonate minerals called limemud from the continental shelf margin of the west coast of India.GSI carried out systematic studies to explore the nature of the disposition,quality,quantity,and suitability of the offshore limemud for various industrial applications.A preliminary estimate of resources using high‐resolution subbottom profiling and sediment core sample studies established the occurrence of more than 172 billion tonnes of high‐grade(The content of CaCO3 is greater than 80 wt%)limemud in 0.4–28.0m thick stratified sediment layers spread over an area of 18000 km2.Chemical,physical,mineralogical,beneficiation,and agglomeration studies found the offshore limemud as a potential replacement for limestone in the cement,filler,blast furnace,steel melting shop,lime production,paint,and Grade‐I steel industries.An assessment of mining and transportation costs indicates that the offshore limemud(USD 5–6/ton)is more cost‐effective than that imported from other countries(USD16‐18/ton).With several advantageous factors like low impurity,mode of occurrence in overburden‐free stratified form,fine‐grained slurry nature,and shallow water depth,sustainable mining of offshore limemud could be a future reality with controllable technological,economic,and environmental challenges.
