Geological Survey of India

Ministry of Mines
Government of India

Geological Survey of India

AN OVERVIEW

IGC
DELHI 2020

Camping in a coalfield 6 AM to 6 PM, 1880

Geological Survey of India

Ministry of Mines
Government of India

Geological Survey of India

AN OVERVIEW

IGC
DELHI 2020

Contents

From The Desk of Director General

The Historical Perspective

Geological Survey of India - Today

Mission-I :
Baseline Geoscience Data Generation

Mission-II :
Natural Resource Assessment

12

Mission-III :
Geoinformatics

16

Mission-IV :
Fundamental & Multidisciplinary Geoscience and Special Studies

18

Mission-V :
Training and Capacity Building

26

Milestones and Achievements

28

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

From The Desk of Director General

Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Premier Earth Science Organization in India, was established in
the year 1851 under the stewardship of Sir Thomas Oldham with the prime objective of locating Coal
resources to meet the need of the country. The visionary approach adopted by him and his successors
led to phenomenal growth of this organization with diversified activities including systematic geological
mapping of the entire country on 1:63,360/1:50,000 scale and specialized thematic mapping in
selected corridors on 1:25,000 scale besides resource assessment of energy and non-energy
minerals and fundamental research in the fields of societal relevance.
GSI, with her dedicated team of Geoscientists, has made significant contributions to the economic
growth of the country by discovering several mineral deposits like gold, base metals, diamond, PGE,
RM & REE besides huge reserves of coal and lignite thereby augmenting its wealth of natural
resources. The contributions made by GSI in the field of fundamental research especially in disaster
management, study of arsenic pollution in ground water in the eastern parts of India and addressing
other problems of societal relevance have made notable impact in the field of Earth Science studies.
GSI is playing a proactive role in Training and Capacity building through its Training Institute (GSITI)
which is fast growing into a 'Center of Excellence'. The GSITI provides world class training to the
geoscientists and other stake holders in India and abroad for upgradation of their professional skills in
various disciplines of earth science with the state of the art technologies and equipment. GSI is also
forging Geoscience partnership with several countries like Canada, Australia, Afghanistan, Columbia
etc. in sharing of knowledge and augmentation of natural resources.
It is indeed a matter of pride that GSI has taken the lead role in putting India on a pedestal of strength in
Earth Science studies matching with its scientific achievements in other fields.

A. Sundaramoorthy
Director General, GSI

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

The Historical Perspective

T

he Geological Survey of India

(GSI), formally established in 1851 by
Thomas Oldham, traces its roots to
1836, when the East India Company
established the Coal Committee to
study and explore the availability of
coal in the eastern part of India. The
Committee appointed D. H. Williams
of the British Geological Survey in
1846 to undertake the exploration task.
After the demise of Williams in 1848,
the Committee was manned by F B
Jones and John McClelland until the
arrival of Thomas Oldham in 1851.
Sir Thomas Oldham with his associates
The phrase "Geological Survey of
India" first appeared in a report by the
Coal Committee in the year 1848-49. The Survey came into being as a regular Government
Department in 1856.
During the initial few years of its existence, the GSI explored the Indian Sub-continent for its
mineral wealth, particularly coal, but Oldham soon realized the futility of the exercise without
having an authentic geological map of the sub-continent. He argued with the government and
broadened the sphere of functioning of the GSI by engaging his officers in systematic geological
and structural mapping of the important terrains. Thus, the GSI started to map the strata, their
order of superposition, the geological structures, and more importantly the age relationships of
the different rock formations. In the absence of radiometric dating techniques in those days, the
officers gave much emphasis on the study of index fossils, which paved the way for the
development of the science of palaeontology. Systematic collection of geological data along the
entire length and breadth of the Indian sub-continent, extending from the Afghanistan border to
the whole of Burma (now Myanmar) under the guidance of Oldham, led to a colossal
achievement by the GSI. The publication of the first geological map of India came out in 1877 in
a span of just 25 years of its existence.
For almost hundred years since its inception, GSI was manned mainly by the British officers. The
process of Indianisation was initiated in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, necessitated
by the economic advantage of employing Indians and avoiding the difficulty in bringing people
from England. The discovery of iron ore deposits in the Chhota Nagpur Plateau in 1906 heralded
the vibrant industrial revolution in India in steel and allied industries.

Apart from its primary endeavour of establishing mineral and coal resources of the country, GSI
was also engaged in fundamental geoscience research ever since its inception. Thomas Oldham
initiated the studies on earthquakes in India, in the wake of the Cachar Earthquake of 10th
January, 1869. He also prepared a catalogue of the thermal springs and earthquakes. The studies
of Sir R. D. Oldham on the Great Assam Earthquake resulted in establishing the layered theory of
the interior of the earth, which was unknown till then.
The seminal contributions made during the first hundred years include:
l

Developing the concept of Gondwana System,

Nomenclature of charnockite and khondalite

Setting up of Indian Museum, initiation of geological education in India and scientific

publications like Memoirs (1856), Palaeontologia Indica (1865), Records (1868) all
continue to be published even now

Publication of the first geological map in 1877

Discovery of iron ore in Central India (Durg District), beginning of petroleum prospecting in
Burma (present Myanmar); Yanangyaurg Oil Field, L. L. Fermor's work on Manganese
deposits in Central India, Findings of Copper belt in Eastern India

Significant contributions to seismology; classic work of the Great Assam earthquake (1897),
Kangra (1905) and Bihar-Nepal (1934) earthquakes

Pilgrim's work on Siwalik mammals, setting up of the gallery related to fossils, rocks,
minerals and meteorites in the Indian Museum

Contribution to Himalayan Geology (stratigraphy, fossil, structure) by eminent scientists like

H. Hayden, D. N. Wadia, W. D. West, J. B. Auden and others; A. M. Heron's work on
Rajasthan's geology; W. King's classical work on the Cuddapah Basin; J. A. Dunn and M. S.
Krishnan's works on geology of Singhbhum and Gangpur; P.N. Bose, H. Crookshank, J. A.
Dunn and M. S. Krishnan's works on the mica fields of Bihar

Development of Railways, Iron & Steel, Copper,

Lead, Zinc and Aluminum industries.

GSI headquarters at
Calcutta in yesteryears

Geological Survey of India - Today

Independence of India from the British colonial rule in 1947 led to complete restructuring and
'Indianization' of GSI. Post-independence, it has evolved as a premier geoscience organization in the
country and has played a pivotal role in the national development viz., industrial and infrastructural
development, irrigation and water resources management, mitigation of natural and public health
hazards, planning communication network, environmental assessment etc. The economic activities in
the mineral and mineral based industries, energy and water resource sectors are all spin-off of the
geo-scientific services rendered by GSI.
The core activities of GSI include: creation and updating of national geoscientific database (baseline
data) through geological, geochemical, geomorphological and geophysical mapping, nurturing
fundamental and applied geoscience research, and geotechnical, geoenvironmental and natural
hazard studies, etc.
To fulfill the aspirations of a developing nation, GSI has played a dominant role in establishing various
geoscientific organizations in the country: Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Oil and Natural Gas
Commission (ONGC), Atomic Minerals Division (AMD), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and
Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) are all offshoots of GSI.

GSI Headquarter, Kolkata

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

6

Some of the notable milestones of post-independence era include:

Systematic geological mapping of almost the entire mappable area of the country on 1:50,000 scale,
discovery of large resources of coal, setting up of Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries, discovery of
East Coast bauxite deposits and setting up of National Aluminium Corporation (NALCO), discovery of
large resources of base metals, preliminary survey in Coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ), airborne magnetic and multi-sensor survey, preliminary delineation of a number of geothermal
fields, systematic study of glaciers (since 1906) and initiation of Antarctic studies in 1986.
The biggest strength of GSI is its highly motivated work force of over 2500 geoscientists working in
different parts of the country. This facilitates collection and management of geoscientific data with
relative economy of effort and low response time, not only for GSI but also for other institutions which
are not so fortunately endowed.

Vision for GSI

l

To create a close-knit national geoscientific community through leadership and

collaborative partnership

To promote and prioritize research in the field of fundamental and applied

Geoscience

To disseminate geoscientific information to facilitate decision-making by policy

makers and stake holders

Enable use of geoscientific data for sustainable socio-economic development.

Currently GSI functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India through 33
pan Indian establishments with around 2900 scientific and technical professionals and about 5,500
supporting staff. The functional operations of GSI's activities are executed under the following five
functional Missions:
Mission I Baseline Geosciences Data Generation
Mission II Natural Resource Assessment
Mission III Geoinformatics
Mission IV Fundamental and Multidisciplinary Geoscience and Special Studies
Mission V Training and Capacity Building

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

7

Mission - I

Baseline Geoscience Data Generation

The core competence of GSI is

Geoscience data generation,
which is accomplished by
systematic documentation of
geology and geological
processes carried out under its
functional Mission-I. The major
activity domains of Mission I
include:
Geological, Geochemical and
Geophysical Mapping,
Marine and Coastal Surveys
Remote Sensing and Aerial
Surveys
Systematic geological
mapping has almost been
completed and the enormous
data collected over the years is
being collated in a GIS
environment to generate a
comprehensive seamless
geological map of the country. The data thus generated is readily available on GSI portal in GIS format
and allows the end users to browse and create interactive maps for viewing. State-of-art mapping,
surveying and data management processes are employed for data collection, storage, display, query
and analysis of the geologic observations.

Systematic Geological Mapping

Systematic Geological Mapping of 3.095 million sq km area out of the 3.146 million sq km mappable
area of the country has been completed on 1:50,000 scale.

Specialised Thematic Mapping (STM)

Specialized theme oriented large-scale (1:25,000 or
larger) mapping (Specialised Thematic Mapping or STM)
is taken up for understanding the complex stratigraphy
and geological history of an area. STM projects are
essentially conceived as multidisciplinary studies in

Eparchaen Unconformity, Tirumala Hills

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

8

Mission - I

Sandstone Arch, Tirumala Hills

Columnar structure in volcanics

of Coconut (St. Mary's) Island

Deformed rocks from

Southern Granulite Terrain

which the geological data is integrated with remote sensing, geophysical, and geochemical data sets
with the aim to identify areas having mineral potential. Specialized Thematic Mapping of 166,703 sq
km has been achieved against the set target of 240,000 sq km area.

Geophysical Mapping
Systematic ground based
gravity - magnetic surveys are
conducted to acquire gravity
and magnetic data with an
average station density of one
station per 2.5 sq km for
preparation of standardized
gravity and magnetic maps of
the country on 1:50,000
scale. An area of 172,981.80
sq km has been covered by
ground gravity and magnetic
(VF or TF) surveys on
1:50,000 scale.

National
Geochemical
Mapping (NGCM)
Geochemical surveys provide
significant information about
Gravity Image Map of India
the concentration of various
elements, including copper, lead, zinc, uranium and gold, which potentially lead to the discovery of new
ore bodies. Such surveys are also indispensable for environmental and engineering geology, as well
as landuse planning and hence the National Geochemical Mapping (NGCM) constitutes a priority
project of GSI.
Geochemical mapping is done on 1: 50,000 scale with grid-wise sampling and analysis of stream
sediment, soil, stream water, humus, etc. Stream sediments are the prime media of sampling and are
collected from a 1 km x 1 km grid and composite samples are prepared on 2 km x 2 km grid for
analytical purposes. Samples from other media are collected on a 5'x5' cell size of the base map.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

9

Mission - I

Geological Survey of India has a huge repository of high resolution geological and geophysical data of
the country. Integration of these data with regional geochemical data will be very vital in facilitating the
identification of new areas for mineral targeting.

Marine and Coastal Surveys

Systematic multidisciplinary geological,
geophysical and geochemical surveys and special
investigations within Territorial Waters (TW) and
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India was
started by GSI with the acquisition of a deep water
ocean going vessel-. V. Samudra Manthan) and
two coastal launches (R. V. Samudra Kaustubh & R.
V. Samudra Saudhikama) in the early eighties.
Research Vessel Samudra Manthan
Since then the three research vessels have
surveyed the sea floor of the Arabian Sea, the Andaman Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the northern
Indian Ocean, covering almost 98% of the 2.015 million sq km of EEZ, which also includes about
1,29,000 sq km of TW.
With over 675 cruises on board the three research vessels,
both in the deep sea and in the coastal waters, the Marine
and Coastal Survey Division (M&CSD) published 29 maps
of the EEZ on 1:0.5 million to 1: 1 million scale and 5 maps of
the TW on 1:50K scale. These maps include sea bed
bathymetry, surface sediment distribution showing
exploitable offshore placer deposits along with other
potential mineral resources like lime mud, phosphates,
silica sand and polymetallic nodules.
Coastline along with EEZ

GSI is actively engaged in studying geotechnical

parameters of the sea bed sediments for the development of ports, offshore drill sites, etc.

Remote Sensing & Aerial Surveys

GSI is engaged in multisensor airborne surveys from 1965
for exploring mineral resources, particularly base metals.
GSI acquired low altitude aerogeophysical data under the
project Operation Hard Rock (OHR) through the
contractual agreement with M/s. Ralph M Parsons Co., USA
during 1967-68. AMSE (RSAS) acquired its own aircraft
Twin Otter and Airborne Survey System called Twin Otter
Airborne Survey System (TOASS) from Canada in the year
1986 along with the state-of-the-art hardware and software
for processing and interpretation of airborne data.

Bathymetry map of the Andaman

Sea around Barren Volcanic Island

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

10

Mission - I

Since initiation, 495,062 line km (lkm) over an area of 294,045 sq km was covered by deploying multisensor systems. A total of 18,900 lkm (equivalent to 38,971.5 sq km) was flown over parts of the West
Coast from Hosadurga to Vengurla, over parts of Karnataka and Maharastra.
The airborne multisensor TOASS data has been useful in:
l

Identifying the potential area extending on either side of the Banskhapa-Piparia sulphide
mineralised zone in the Betul-Chhindwar area, Madhya Pradesh,

Discovering 8 new Kimberlite Clan Rock (KCR) bodies in Narayanpet Kimberlite Field (NKF) in
Mahbubnagar area, Andhra Pradesh,

Recommending the potential blocks for the possible occurrence of KCR bodies in PannaMahoba area, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,

Interpretation of possible occurrence of concealed iron formations in Baihar-Kutru area, in parts

of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh,

Identification of groundwater prospects in Tumkur and Hassan districts of Karnataka, in

collaboration with the Central Ground water Board (CGWB).

Geomorphological and Hyperspectral Mapping

A nationwide collaborative project of geomorphological and lineament mapping is being carried out
jointly by GSI and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) since geomorphology is of critical
importance to the integrated development of a society. The 1:50,000 scale geomorphological mapping
programme aims at the delineation of landforms. This is also one of the seven themes conceived under
the Natural Resource Census (NRC) programme of ISRO for generating different thematic maps using
Indian Remote Sensing satellite images. Geomorphological guides play an important role in the oil /
mineral exploration programmes. They also provide important inputs for geo-engineering, geotechnical and geohazard mitigation projects. Under this project, georectified Resourcesat-1 LISS-III
data is being used for mapping of landforms and lineaments. Customised tools, including a robust
geodatabase has been created in ArcGIS environment to generate seamless geomorphological and
lineament map of the entire country. The project is executed in a collaborative manner in which
different state remote sensing organizations and academic institutes carry out the mapping, using a
unified legend for the country.
GSI has initiated Hyperspectral Remote Sensing studies for mineral targeting. Preparation of an
exhaustive spectral library of the mineralized belts of the country is underway.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

11

Mission - II

Natural Resource Assessment

Minerals are non-renewable natural resources that constitute vital components for industrial
development of a nation. India is endowed with significant mineral deposits, such as that of non-coking
coal, iron ore, metallurgical and chemical grade bauxite, dolomite, gypsum, limestone and mica. It also
has adequate reserves of lignite, metallic and refractory chromite, manganese, zinc and graphite.
India produces 87 minerals, which include 4 fuel minerals, 10 metallic, 47 non-metallic, 3 atomic and
23 minor minerals.
During the post-Independence
period, GSI has embarked upon
intensive exploration programmes for
minerals, in favourable geological
milieu spread over the Dharwar, the
Bastar, the Singhbhum and the
Aravalli cratons. Keeping in tune with
the modern trends of mineral
exploration, the GSI oriented its
programmes through multidisciplinary
surveys. The liberalisation of India's
National Mineral Policy in 1993 paved
the way for the entry of private
entrepreneurs, including those from
overseas for carrying out mineral
exploration. The database developed
by GSI has been found very useful for
taking investment decisions by the
multi-national companies.
The major metallogenic episodes in
India encompass a time span from the
Archaean to the Meso-Proterozoic, during which significant deposits of base metals, noble metals,
iron, manganese and chromium, etc. were formed. Baseline geosciences data generation has
delineated an area of around 570,000 sq km as potential area for future mineral search. The reserve
estimation by GSI is presently done on the UNFC system in various phases of mineral investigation. In
recent years, mineral exploration has picked up momentum on account of the various favourable
policy measures taken by the Government of India. The National Mineral Policy 2008 has laid special
emphasis on regulations in minerals, survey and exploration, and strategies for mineral development
in the country. This policy initiative may encourage heightened involvement of private sector
companies in the survey and exploration of minerals in India in the future. GSI is the prime body
involved in creating and updating national geoscientific studies and mineral assessment.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

12

Mission - II

Our core group of exploration geoscientists experienced in the assessment of different mineral
deposits in diverse geological milieu with the support of intensive drilling, geophysical and analytical
facilities has an excellent track record of continually augmenting the mineral wealth of the country. The
major contribution of GSI to the mineral sector during the recent past is as follows.
Discovery of high level laterite crust with gibbsite (bauxite) over large tracts of Odisha and Andhra
Pradesh, eastern India added 2377 mt to earlier known deposit of 254 mt
Reserves of Cu increased to 512 mt after discovery of Malanjkhand, Khetri and Singhbhum deposits
Manganese ore reserves got enhanced to 156 mt after the discovery of deposits at Sandur, Bonai and
Keonjhar
Discovery of Sukinda and Baula-Nausahi deposit enhanced chromite reserves to 142 mt
Gold discovery in volcano-sedimentary sequence in schist belt of Karnataka enhanced the ore
reserves from 4 mt to 58.38 mt
PGE deposit of 1412 mt has been located in Baula-Nausahi ultramafic belt, Odisha
0.079 mt of Cs bearing pegmatite has been discovered in Purulia district, West Bengal

Diamonds from Kimberlite in Mainpur Kimberlite Field, Chhattisgarh;

Note olivine megacrysts within
Andhra Pradesh
pyroxene groundmass

Old working for basemetals,

Chamoli, Uttarakhand

Malachite and azurite stains on

quartz vein along Thanewasna
Shear Zone, Maharashtra

Pentlandite flame in Pyrrhotite,

Hanumalapura ultramafics, Karnataka

Retorts from ancient smelters,

Cuddappah, Andhra Pradesh

Gold grain in association with arsenopyrite

Backscattered image of gold grain

in association with arsenopyrite

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

13

Mission - II

COAL & LIGNITE EXPLORATION

In the wake of spiraling demand for coal, which accounts for the lion's share in the energy sector, all the
exploration and exploitation agencies at national level are embarking upon a comprehensive and
critical analysis of in-situ resource base and designing appropriate exploration and exploitation
strategy. Exploration for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is also
gaining momentum. GSI is continuing its function of
updating and refining national geoscientific information
and knowledge base on coal, lignite and CBM resources
along with study of fundamental aspects of Gondwana
geology. Emphasis on concept oriented exploration
techniques as well as integration of state-of-the-art
geological and geophysical studies are undertaken to
A thematic map demonstrating
probe potential areas concealed under thick cover of
seam thickness variation
younger sediments / Trap rocks. GSI takes up the
arduous task in establishing potential coal bearing areas through regional exploration, which in turn is
taken up for detailed exploration by CMPDIL, SCCL and other agencies.
The geological resources of coal of the country stands at 293.497 billion tonnes and that of lignite is
41.963 billion tonnes as on 01.04.2012.

Prognostication of potential areas of the Gondwana coalfields of India

Based on available subsurface information on coal
occurrences in the different Gondwana coalfields,
Geological Survey of India is engaged in a data based
search for potential coal bearing areas in different
coalfields, beyond the known prospects. Geo-statistical
analysis is performed on subsurface data of different
coalfields with the objective of locating promising areas
Seam thickness variation by Fourier analysis
beyond the explored boundaries. In case of regular and
systematic variation of the parameters, Fourier analysis is
used for extrapolating the observations to new areas. The above approach has yielded encouraging
results for Birbhum, Pench-Kanhan-Tawa, Ib-river and Singrauli coalfields. Programmes are proposed
to be taken up to explore the suggested areas in near future.

CBM / Shale Gas Exploration

GSI is associated with the search and exploration for
CBM in the country. It has created field based CBM
database for 30 boreholes in virgin areas of different
coalfield utilizing indigenously developed temperature
controlled Canister and Rod & Mill apparatus. These data
will play an important role in CBM exploration in future.
A plume of ignited CBM emanating from an
artesian aquifer, Sohagpur Coalfield, Madhya Pradesh

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

14

Mission - II

Geothermal Energy
GSI started looking for non-conventional energy resources way back in the early seventies of the past
century. Till date, GSI has evaluated 340 hot springs in different parts of the country with an estimated
geothermal resource potential of 10,600 MW. These studies have led to the publication of the
Geothermal Atlas of India.

Hot water spring at Tapovan, Chamoli, Uttrakhand

Secondary sulphur deposit at Tapovan thermal spring

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

15

Mission - III

Geoinformatics

GSI has been the nodal agency for acquiring, storing, analysing and disseminating geoscience data
and information ever since its formation. In response to the increasing public demand for useful
geoscience information, together with its statuary task of supporting government and local authorities
in sustainable resource development, environmental protection, and land-use planning, the GSI has
established the Geoinformatics Division. A data management system has been developed by the
Division for the effective delivery of geodata and for providing complete IT support for GSI employees
involving technological training and consultation services. The major goals of the Mission on
geoinformatics are:
To apply unified procedures for collecting, storing and delivering data
The standardization of an effective information flow
The better utilization of human, technical and financial resources
To improve the presentation and marketing of the GSI and its activities
To ensure its compatibility with National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS)
GSI Net-Portal: The GSI portal (http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in) is a robust system with fail safe
mechanism to even sustain natural calamities and with inbuilt QOS features for information /data flow
in the form of voice, data and
video in single channel
assuring unhindered services.
It provides access to geological
data and information pertaining
to GSI activities. It has an
Internet interface for the public
to access certain kinds of
information and an Intranet
application geared to serve
organizational needs i.e. backoffice transactions through a
series of Management
Information Systems (MIS).
GSI Portal has rich content
useful to the stakeholders and
public. It has interactive map
services with mineral / metal
wise deposit search, map
service on seismotectonics,

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

16

Mission - III

sections on Indian Geology, Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) on geological investigations,

interesting case studies, GSI reports, journals, photo galleries etc. Metadata pertaining to around 840
published maps, 800 publications, 34000 progress reports and over 8000 actual reports are available
for free download through the Portal. The principal components of the GSI-Portal are Spatial Data
Warehouse (SDW), Metadata and Map Server.
Spatial Data Warehouse (SDW): The Spatial Data Warehouse serves as a repository for geoscientific
data of GSI. SDW archives data generated from different projects, unifies different data sources and
formats, and defines and applies uniform geological lexicons.
Metadata: A catalogue of data sources, stored in the Central Data Warehouse, provides a complete
description of individual data sources. The MIS is accessible via the GSI
Portal as a database application and has become an efficient data discovery tool.
Map Server: The Map Server allows easy access to spatial data for end-users. It is integrated into the
GSI Portal and provides services such as: metadata catalogue of maps, GIS applications of digital
geological maps and related database and distributed GIS for sharing of map services.
Map production: The
Map Printing Division is
responsible for printing of
thematic maps prepared
by GSI using cartographic
tools on GIS platform.
Publication: The
geoscientific data acquired
by GSI are dessiminated to
the scientific community
through various categories
of publication. These
include: Memoirs,
A view of part of Seismic Atlas created in ArcIMS
Records, Bulletins,
Paleontologia Indica, Special Publications, Miscellaneous Publications, Catalogue Series, Indian
Geoscience Abstracts, Manual Series, Indian Journal of Geosciences, GSI News, etc.
Library: The Central Library of GSI was established in 1856 and it houses the richest collection of
geoscientific literature in India. Currently it holds in its archive more than 700,000 publications
including 600 geological and related journal titles. The archival collection of books in English and other
languages dating back to as early as 16th century, constitute it a rare repository of geoscientific
literature.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

17

Mission - IV

Fundamental & Multidisciplinary Geoscience and Special Studies

The fundamental and multidisciplinary geoscientific activities of GSI encompass the studies on crustal
evolution and tectonics, petrogenetic modelling, ore deposit modelling, meteorite and planetary
studies, glaciological studies, Antarctican and polar research, palaeobiology, palaeoenvironment,
biogeochemistry, study of earth surface processes, seismotectonics and restoration of heritage sites,
etc. GSI has created state-of-the-art facilities to carry out fundamental geoscience research at par
with the global standards.
The organization has made seminal contribution in promoting research in fundamental and applied
geosciences in the country through its laboratory facilities and various research initiatives.

State-of-the-art Laboratories
GSI laboratories are amongst the leading facilities in the Sub-continent, encompassing a wide range of
capabilities, from chemical and isotopic analysis to mineral research and mineral processing.
Analytical instruments include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (ICP-MS), inductively
coupled plasma atomic emission instruments (ICP-AES), Electron Probe Microanalyser (EPMA), Xray fluorescence units (XRF), Stable and Radiogenic Mass Spectrometer and Optically Stimulated
Luminescence (OSL) laboratory for advance research.
The mineralogical research laboratories host a variety of instrumentation for identifying, characterizing
and analyzing solid materials, including ore samples and industrial minerals, metals, alloys, diamond
and environmental samples.

Geochronology & Isotope Geology

Geochronology & Isotope laboratory of GSI is one of the first laboratories in the country to introduce
systematic radiometric dating facility. It is the first Indian laboratory to introduce U/Th-Pb zircon dating.
The laboratory has been generating extensive Rb-Sr and K-Ar age data on Indian rocks. The
laboratory is equipped with instruments like TIMS, Multicollector TIMS and Radiocarbon Dating facility
comprising Liquid Scintillation Counter Spectrometer and Benzene Synthesizer units.

Polar Studies: Arctic / Antarctic

GSI's commitment to develop the understanding of glacial processes in the polar regions is testified by
several Antarctic expeditions led by the geoscientists of the
organization. GSI has proven capability in mass balance
studies, snow cover assessment studies, avalanche
impact assessment studies, snow / ice chemistry and
dating of moraines and glaciogenic sediments.
The First Indian Antarctic Expedition was launched in
December 1981. India established its First Antarctic
Research Station,
GSI scientists at Antarctica

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

18

Mission - IV

'Dakshin Gangotri' (DG), on coastal shelf ice in 1983. Shortly thereafter, India was granted the
Consultative Status in the Antarctic Treaty. Since 1984, India has been a regular participant in the
deliberations of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. The Second Indian Antarctic Station,
'Maitri', was built in 1988 on a rocky area of Schirmacher Hills in Central Dronning Maud Land. Since
the very first expedition, GSI has contributed significantly in the scientific and logistic aspects of these
multidisciplinary and multiinstitutional expeditions. Recently, GSI provided Voyage Leadership to an
officer of GSI along with the responsibility of initiating and overseeing the construction and
commissioning of India's prestigious third Antarctic Research Station 'Bharati' for three consecutive
seasons from 2009 to 2012.
The major scientific programmes of GSI in Antarctica include geological mapping on 1:50,000 scale,
large scale thematic mapping for petrochemical and geochronological studies, glaciological
observations on advance and recessional behaviour of
polar continental ice, studies on shelf ice for accumulation
patterns, glacial dynamics recording the movement
directions and velocity of glaciers and ice sheets, ice core
drilling and lake sediment coring for palaeoclimatic studies,
thermal profiling of glaciers and permafrost observations,
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey for delineation of
grounding-line of the shelf ice and plotting of lakeGPR studies in Svalbard, Arctic Region
bathymetry.
GSI was inducted in the Arctic Expedition of National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research
(NCAOR) in 2008. Since then, the item on parameterization of Glaciers in Northern Hemisphere to
variations of climate Inter Annual and Intra Annual is being carried out to understand polar glacier
teleconnection and the processes controlling these interactions.

Deep Geology
GSI has been a regular participant in international collaborative programmes like IGCP. As a part of
such research efforts, GSI is carrying out studies on the Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM)
of Archaean cratons through studies on kimberlite / lamproite and its xenoliths-xenocrysts-diamonds.
Also, imaging of deep crustal structure by Magneto - Telluric (MT) survey in parts of the Himalayas has
been carried out to demarcate zones of mid - crustal conductors and to prepare a crustal model of the
Himalayan terrain.

Meteorite Studies
Meteorites are extraterrestrial pieces of asteroids, pieces of moon, and of mars that fall on the earth
from space. The main source of meteorites is the asteroid belt (Ceres, 4 Vesta, 2 Pallas and 10 Hygiea)
lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. GSI, being custodian of all meteorites, fell or found, within
Indian territory, possesses a rich collection of over 600 meteorites. Diverse types of chondrites,
achondrites and iron meteorites enrich GSI's collections. To mention, some of the rare and famous
ones are Bishunpur, Semarkona (unequilibrated type 3.0 to 3.1 chondrites), Haripura (type2
Carbonaceous Chondrite) etc. Study of these meteorites has been a major domain of research in GSI
for the past couple of decades. An achondrite, Shergotty, fell in Bihar (on 25 August 1865) was later

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

19

Mission - IV

identified as the first known Martian meteorite and GSI participated in the research conducted by an
international consortium on this achondrite. All the meteorites collected by GSI have been
characterized and classified.

Kasauli meteorite, Uttar Pradesh

Kendrapara meteorite, Odisha

Different types of Chondrules under microscope

The Impact Crater, Lonar, Maharashtra

Climate Change
GSI is engaged in paleoclimatic studies through its
various research programmes such as studies of
coastal regions, glaciology, desert geology and carbon
sequestration. It is actively engaged in study of
selected glaciers in the Himalayas. GSI is also
planning to study the extent of desertification, salinity
changes etc. to generate data on palaeoclimatic
changes. An integrated approach of studies based on
Quaternary geology, palaeontology, speleology,
Quaternary chronostratigraphy etc. in India as well as
ice core studies from Antarctica is also underway.

U shaped valley, Chamoli, Uttarakhand

For more than hundred years GSI has been involved

in the study of Himalayan cryosphere, the largest
mass of snow and ice outside the polar regions. The
different aspects of glaciological studies include study
of glacier regimen, mass balance, hydrometry, glacial
and periglacial geomorphology, snow-cover studies
and inventory of glaciers in the individual basins. As
the glaciers possess proxy records of climate change,

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

20

Moraine, Munsiari, Uttarakhand

Mission - IV

the monitoring of glaciers is taken as a priority work by GSI and more than 40 glaciers have been
monitored during the last hundred years in the Himalayas.
Following the norms laid down by Temporary Technical Secretariat (TTS) for World Glacier Inventory
(WGI), a detailed inventory of 9575 Himalayan glaciers has been published by GSI for the scientific
community.

Geodynamic Studies
GSI does geodynamic studies in different parts of the country using differential GPS. Campaign mode
and continuous GPS data from 2005 to 2010 was used to examine the evolving strain pattern in the
Andaman Islands after the Great SumatraAndaman earthquake of 2004. The high precision GPS
measurement survey, in campaign mode, has been carried out in parts of Dibang Valley and Lohit
districts of Arunachal Pradesh from 2004 to 2010. This has brought out the nature of crustal
movements taking place in response to the present tectonic processes in the region. The results of
these studies add to the understanding of behavior of plate movements in the region.

Seismic Tomography Studies

GSI is actively engaged in seismic tomographic studies in the tectonically active Andaman region.
Studies based on 3-D P-wave tomography of the entire rupture zone of the Andaman-Nicobar region
using the aftershocks of the 2004 SumatraAndaman earthquake (Mw 9.3) clearly demonstrates a
close correspondence between the structural heterogeneities and failure of rock mass.

Study of Coastal Wave Dynamics

GSI initiated study on coastal dynamics in 1996 along the
West Bengal - Odisha coast in response to the geological
processes operating on the coast. The study comprised
interpretation of multi-temporal remote sensing data and
field checks. These studies are aimed at deciphering
shoreline changes, geological and geomorphological
mapping, repeat beach profiling, measurement of wave
parameters / wave energy and beach sediment analyses.
Wave cut features in the Mio-Pliocene
rocks of Neil Island

Desert Geology
Geoscientific investigations have been carried out to
characterize and map different components of the Thar
Desert in India. Several palaeoclimatic indicators have
been identified and studied to infer various operative
processes and geological evolution of the Thar Desert.
Geological features, sedimentological records and
geomorphic evidences have been studied. Dating of
sediments indicates different episodes of desertification
and dune formation in the Thar Desert.

Dune field in Thar desert, Rajasthan

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

21

Mission - IV

Repository of Index Fossil for Research

GSI is the custodian of the repository consisting of
rare index fossils. It has a unique collection of about
250,000 fossils representing the entire spectrum of
geological time scale of the Indian Sub-continent,
accumulated over the past 160 years. These fossils
are kept in the Indian Museum at Kolkata. The
registered fossils of the Fossil Repository are open to
geoscientists for further research.

Volcanology
GSI is engaged in the monitoring and study of the
Barren Island, an uninhabited volcanic island. The
Barren Island along with Narcondam Island forms a
part of the inner arc of the Burma-Andaman-Java
subduction zone. Tectonically these islands form the
chain that extends from the extinct volcanoes of
Burma (e.g., Mt Popa, Mt Wuntho) in the north to the
active volcanoes of Sumatra, Bali and Java to the
south. The ongoing monitoring studies are significant
because the Barren Volcano has records of
prehistoric and historic eruptions and is in an active
state since 1991.

The sand dunes at cold desert of

Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

Explosive volcanism in Barren Island, March 2005

Palaeobiological Studies
The discovery of animal eggs and embryos from black
phosphatic chert of Ediacaran (Terminal Proterozoic)
Chambaghat Formation, Krol Group, Himanchal
Pradesh has added to understanding of the
evolutionary trends in Proterozoic metazoan life. This
discovery of the eggs and embryos from the Terminal
Proterozoic rocks of India are the only one recorded
from the equivalent stratigraphic horizons outside
China. Biostratigraphically significant Ediacaranfossil-assemblage discovered from Vindhyans is a
Embryo from Terminal Proterozoic
major palaeontological breakthrough in the history of
palaeobiological research on Vindhyans. It extends Ediacaran palaeobiogeographic range to
Peninsular Indian Sea and places Vindhyans in Ediacaran world palaeobiogeographic map.
Subsequent finding of Ediacaran assemblage from Marwar Supergroup, Rajasthan permits
biostratigraphic correlation of western and central Indian Proterozoic basins providing insight into
peninsular Neoproterozoic palaeogeography.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

22

Mission - IV

The broken skull specimen of Homo erectus, the first and only of its kind in India was discovered by GSI
in 1982 at Hathnora, Narmada valley, Madhya Pradesh.

Kotasaurus dinosaur bones, Yamanpalli, Andhra Pradesh

Skull of Homo erectus discovered at

Hathnora, Madhya Pradesh

Discovery of the Oldest Rain Imprints

The discovery of the oldest-ever (1.41.6Ga) and exceptionally well-preserved rain imprints on the
rippled palaeo-tidal flat deposits of the Semri Group (Vindhyans) of rocks, by virtue of their antiquity,
present a key evidence for the primordial rainfall. It also provides a deep insight into the physiographic,
climatic and atmospheric conditions of the primitive earth including regularization of atmospheric
(monsoonal) and oceanic (tidal) cycles during the Middle-Proterozoic. The discovery got an entry into
the Guinness World Record 2005 and is highlighted in the Journal of Science.

Earthquake Geology/ Seismotectonics

GSI is responsible for undertaking seismic hazard assessment (SHA) of earthquake prone areas. SHA
is accomplished by studying the possible source regions of earthquake (active fault studies) as well as
study of the sites where the tremor is likely to cause considerable damage due to the prevalent
geological conditions (seismic hazard microzonation). To address these societal responsibilities in the
ambit of earthquake geology include post earthquake microseismic and macroseismic surveys for
assigning intensity, ground deformation study by DGPS, other geophysical investigations,
observational seismology, permanent GPS stations etc have taken up. GSI has also published the
Seismotectonic Atlas of India based on the vast repository of archival data on earthquakes, faults,
lineaments etc.

Geotechnical Studies
Sir Thomas Oldham was the first to render geological advice to
the civil engineers for the railway alignment between Kolkata
and Patna in 1859. Since then, GSI has done geotechnical
studies for all the major river valley projects, alignment of roads,
bridges and tunnels, etc. in the country as well as in the
neighbouring countries. GSI's geotechnical studies and
geological advice have helped in successfully tackling adverse

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

23

Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra

Mission - IV

foundation conditions. Some outstanding examples are: Bhakra Nangal (the highest straight gravity
concrete dam), Iddiki (highest arch dam) and Beas Sutlej Link (one of the longest inter-river
diversions). Geotechnical evaluation of tunnel/bridge sites and new railway stations along KatraQazigund rail alignment passing through vulnerable reaches of different geological formations in the
Kashmir Himalayas is really a challenging job being pursued by GSI. Detailed studies for conservation
of archaeological monuments of the world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Bhimbetka, Gwalior fort,
Aurangabad etc. constitute some of the pioneering work done by GSI in the field of geo-archaeology.

Post Tsunami Studies

GSI carried out post tsunami studies in the Andaman
& Nicobar islands as well as along the coastal tracts
of southern India after the devastating tsunami of
2004. Based on the studies, tsunami inundation
maps and run up length / height scenario has been
brought out . Consequent to the 2004 earthquake,
GSI recorded co-seismic ground movements and
demonstrated the differential submergence and
emergence of the Andaman and Nicobar coasts.

Uplift of coral banks in North Andaman Island

Emergence of marine terrace, Andaman Island

Emergence of mangrove colony above tidal life line

Landslide Hazard Studies

GSI is the nodal agency for landslide studies in the
country and is responsible for coordinating and
undertaking geological studies for landslide
susceptibility zonation, site specific study of
landslides for their stabilization, preparation of
inventory of landslides and monitoring of
landslides.
14 Mile landslide of Darjeeling Himalaya

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

24

Mission - IV

GSI has acquired significant knowledge and expertise in the development of concepts for landslide
susceptibility, hazard and risk assessment in different geological and climatic regime of the country in a
collaborative research initiative with ITC, The Netherlands and the National Remote Sensing Centre of
the country.

Environmental Geology
GSI is engaged in the environmental geological studies for societal benefit in a very significant way.
This includes studies related to contamination and toxicity of groundwater due to arsenic and fluoride,
EIA of urban industrial growth centres, waste disposal, trace-element hazard from fly-ash in coalbased thermal power plants, nuclear waste disposal etc.

Geogenic Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic is one of the worst contaminants in groundwater, which is responsible for the highest risk of
mortality worldwide because of its toxicity. Dangerously
high levels of arsenic have been found in the groundwater
near deltaic regions of the south Asian countries. In these
areas, the geogenic arsenic is getting released from
aquifer sediments into the groundwater and having
adverse effect on human health. Immediately after the
problem was identified first time in West Bengal,
Geological Survey of India has been carrying out
research projects, in different states, since the year 1988.
Patches of old consolidated terrace in Indus valley

National Geological Monuments

Geological processes have left their stamp on the face of the earth. Geological Survey of India has
identified 26 sites as National Geological Monuments
which provide exemplary opportunities to the people to
appreciate and understand the geological processes that
operated during the geological past. Some of these sites
are: Marine Gondwana fossil park in Sarguja district,
Chhatisgarh, Siwalik Vertebrate Fossil park in Sirmur
district , Himanchal Pradesh, Stromatolite Park,
Chittaurgarh district, Rajasthan, Pillow Lava,
Maradihalli, Chitradurga district, Karnataka, Eparchaean
Pillow basalt, Maradihalli,
Unconformity, Tirumala hills, Andhra Pradesh, etc.

Chitradurga district, Karnataka

Drill Core Libraries

Drill cores provide valuable information on stratigraphy, lithology and mineralization of an area.
Geological Survey of India has set up drill core libraries at its five regional offices. The drill core
samples are archived with proper indices for future reference and research. The five Regional Drill
Core Libraries established in GSI are located at Hyderabad (Southern Region), Nagpur (Central
Region), Bhubaneshwar (Eastern Region), Akwali (Western Region) and Lucknow (Northern Region).

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

25

Mission - V

Training and Capacity Building

Geoscientists continuously need to update their knowledge, augment their skills, and learn new
technologies in their effort to protect and enhance the natural resources of a country. The Geological
Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) caters to this need by offering a range of training courses to its
own geoscientists as well as to those from several other countries of the world.
The Institute was established in 1976 to impart Basic, Refresher and Advance training in Geological
Mapping, Mineral Exploration and issues of societal relevance like Natural Hazard Mitigation, Disaster
Management, Medical Geoscience and Environmental studies to the geoscientists of GSI and other
organizations. GSITI has its headquarters at Hyderabad, where its main training centre is located. This
centre consists of specialized divisions such as Petrology, Photogeology and Remote Sensing,
Geophysics, and the Centre for Geoinformation Management Training (CGMT). In addition to the main
training centre, GSITI has Regional Training Institutes (RTIs) and Field Training Centres (FTCs).
The various courses offered by the Institute are based upon the training need assessment of the target
group. In addition to giving training to geoscientists it also offeres training to its technical and
administrative support staff. All the training programmes are properly evaluated and certified. The
Institute collaborates with various National and International academic Institutions for knowledge
sharing to bring excellence to its curriculum.

Policy envisaged for the Training Institute

l

Periodic in-service training

Programmes for middle/higher level management

Courses on scientific, administrative and management needs

Courses offered
l

Induction level courses for geologists, geophysicists, chemists, engineers and administrative
officers

Refresher and advanced courses in different branches of geosciences

Mineral Exploration

Digital archival and dissemination of

digital data

Geochemical Mapping

Geophysical Mapping

Airborne and Marine Surveys

Remote Sensing

Active fault studies

Earthquakes and Seismic Microzonation

Trainees from African countries

enhancing skills on surveying

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

26

Mission - V

l
l
l
l
l

Geo-informatics for Natural Hazard Studies including Risk Management

Geotechnical investigations
Geographic Information System (GIS) and Information Technology
Management Courses
Customised Courses on Clients' needs

International Collaborative Initiatives

BRGM: The collaboration with BRGM was primarily aimed towards capacity building in the field of
geospatial data management and mineral exploration. This was the first major initiative of this kind in
the country.
INDIGEO: The centre for training in geoinformatics was established as a collaborative effort between
GSI, ITC, The Netherlands and Association of Exploration Geophysicist. Partnership with ITC has
culminated in an International Research Collaboration on developing suitable methods of landslide
inventory mapping and to carry out a state-of-the-art research on landslide forecasting, hazard, risk
and mitigation. In this initiative two officers of GSI did their PhD on different aspect of landslide
research.
International Geoscience Programme (IGCP): It is a unique cooperative enterprise of UNESCO and
the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). IGCP has been stimulating comparative
studies in the Earth Sciences since 1972. The Indian National Committee (INC) for IGCP is the apex
body for all the IGCP activities (meetings, field trips etc.) in India. The INC promotes cooperation in the
areas of research and education in geosciences at the national level and worldwide. Activities of IGCP
projects in India are headed by the Director General, Geological Survey of India as its Chairperson and
Director, International Division, as Member Secretary of the INC. Other members of the INC include
representations from various geoscientific organisations like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
(ONGC), National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Atomic Mineral Division (AMD), Wadia
Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Central Ground
Water Board (CGWB), Central Water Commission (CWC), and different universities and retired
officers/ academicians. Presently, fourteen eminent scientists in the INC evaluate the progress of ongoing projects. Since inception of IGCP projects GSI has participated and successfully completed
more than 100 nos. of IGCP projects. Some of the important IGCP projects completed in recent past
are
l
l

IGCP 540 Gold bearing hydrothermal fluids of orogenic deposits (2007-2011)

IGCP 557 Diamonds, Xenoliths and Kimberlite (2007-2011)

The ongoing IGCP projects are:

l
IGCP 571 Radon, Health and Natural hazards (2009-2013)
l
IGCP 581 Evolution of Asian River Systems (2009-2013)
l
IGCP 582 Tropical Rivers: Hydrophysical Processes, Impact hazards and management (20092013)
l
IGCP 587 Of Identity, Facies and Time the Ediacaran Puzzle (2010-2014)
l
IGCP 588 Preparing for coastal change (2010-2014)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

27

Milestones and Achievements

Geological mapping of 3.095 million sq km area (98.37 %) of the country (out of total mappable area of
3.146 million sq km) on 1: 50,000/63,360 scale has been completed. The first Geological Map
published in 1877 and seventh revised edition in 1998.
Marine reconnoiter survey of 98.04 % of Exclusive Economic Zone (2.02 million sq km) in the
surrounding ocean completed.
Airborne geophysical survey of 2.081 million sq km and 14,761 line km in coastal areas.
Specialised Thematic Map (STM) of 1, 66,703 sq km of geologically critical areas have been
completed on 1:25,000 scale with a view to get an insight into the complex structure, stratigraphy, etc.
7.75 % landmass equivalent to 2, 54,417 sq km has been covered systematically on 1:50,000 scale
under the National Geochemical Mapping Programme.
Ground based gravity and magnetic (VF or TF) survey of 5.23 % landmass equivalent to a total of 1,
72,981.80 sq km area on 1:50,000 scale is completed under the National Geophysical Mapping
Programme.
Vanguard role in Petrology, Palaeontology, Geochronology, Geophysics and Geochemistry related
research.
293 Quadrangle geological maps (compiled from the basic geological mapping of each degree sheet)
have been published.
A number of thematic maps, such as Geological / Mineral / Tectonic / Geotechnical Map of India on
various scales, Sea Bed Sediment Maps, District Resources Maps etc. have been published.
Publication of the first Memoir of GSI dates back to 1856; till date 143 Memoirs have been published.

Significant Achievements in mineral resource assessment:

Resources of copper ore increased to 613.426 million tons with the discovery of deposits like
Malanjkhand, Khetri and Singhbhum copper belts; Baniwala-Ki-Dhani, Dhani Basri, Kundla-Ki-Dhani,
Dokan Block and Dokan north block of Rajasthan.
Discovery of lead-zinc deposits of Kayar-Ghugra, Zawar, Rajpura-Dariba-Bethumni belts of
Rajasthan; Thanewasna and Dubarpeth-Karanji Block of Maharashtra and Muariya Block of Betul,
Madhya Pradesh increased India's resources to 532.57 million tons.
The discovery of bauxite ore over large tracts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra has
increased the total resources to 2638.67 million tons.
Manganese ore resources got enhanced to 180.922 million tons after the discovery of deposits at
Sandur Schist Belt in Karnataka and Bonai-Keonjhar Belt, Odisha.
Discovery of Sukinda and Baula-Nuasahi Chromite increased the resources to 146 million tons.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

28

Resources of iron ore got augmented to 13,891.05 million tons in the last decade with the discoveries
in the states of Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Discovery of new gold deposit in Bhukia, Banswara district, Rajasthan increased the present resource
of gold ore to 163.26 million tons.
A total of 88 kimberlite pipes have been discovered from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh of which 24 pipes have proved to be diamondiferous.
PGE deposits with a resource of 15.292 million tons of ore have been discovered from the BaulaNuasahi ultramafic belt of Odisha and Hanumalapura Block of Shimoga schist belt of Karnataka.
With the discovery of primary molybdenite
deposits in Harur-Uttangarai area, Dharamapuri
district of Tamil Nadu the resources of 15.42
million tons have been estimated.
0.109 million tons of Cesium-bearing pegmatite
and aplite have been discovered from Beku and
Belamu area, Purulia district, West Bengal.
Large resources of limestone to the tune of
84,365 million tons have been estimated after
the discovery of limestone deposits from the
Litang Valley of Meghalaya.

Bauxite mines, Bodai-Daldali, Odisha

Resources of power grade coal have been established in Talcher, Ib River, Mand-Raigarh, Korba,
Godavari, Rajmahal and Auranga coalfields. Coal of superior grade deposits are established in
Talcher, Ib River, Birbhum, Hasdo-Arand, Mand-Raigarh, Sohagpur and Godavari coalfields.
Resources of lignite at shallow depth in a 90 km stretch of Neyveli lignite belt of Tamil Nadu and
Pondicherry, Mannargudi and the Ramnad sub-basins of Tamil Nadu and Kachchh and Bharuch
districts of Gujarat have been established. Since1950, GSI's contribution to national energy resources
is 165 billion tons. In the last five years with the discoveries of new deposits, the resources of coal and
lignite enhanced by 36.1 billion tonnes and 3 billion tonnes respectively in National Inventory.

Geotechnical Studies
Some of the major areas of geotechnical studies done by GSI include:
Foundation studies for river valley projects, dams, barrages and power projects
Studies for alignment of roads, railways, irrigation canals and tunnels
Seismicity, micro-earthquake and landslide hazard studies
Studies on specific problems like flood control and river bank erosion
GSI also offers geotechnical consultancy services to the neighbouring countries such as Nepal,
Bhutan and Myanmar

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

29

Marine Studies
Geological, geochemical and geophysical mapping of sea bed
Investigation for placer minerals in continental self
Surveys for offshore structures like Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) systems, drilling platforms, jetties etc.
Surveys for development of ports, harbours, laying underwater pipelines, cables etc.
Survey for selection of sites for disposal of dredge spoils
Survey in estuary and coastal areas for non conventional energy resources
Environmental Impact Assessment in near coastal domains

Geoenvironmental Studies
Regional geoenvironmental appraisal for identification of areas susciptible to natural hazards and
environmental degradation
Geoenvironmental appraisal of mining belts, tourist resorts, urban agglomeration and river valley
project sites
Preparation of geoenvironmental impact assessment document for specific anthropogenic activities
Studies on fluvial and coastal geodynamics

Glossary of geological terms derived from India

The term Gondwana System was coined and proposed by H.B. Meddlicott in the course of a study of
Central Indian coalfield, after the ancient Gond Kingdom. The term Gondwana was first adopted in the
official publication by Ottokar Fiestmantel.
Charnockite is an orthopyroxene-bearing granite metamorphosed in granulite facies and named after
Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta.
Gondite is metamorphosed manganese bearing rock found in the states of Madhya Pradseh and
Maharashtra and named after the Gond tribe of central India.
Khondalite is a granulite facies metapelitic rock containing quartz sillimanite K-feldsapr garnet.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

30

Major Minerals Estimated By Geological Survey of India

(Resource in million tonnes unless otherwise stated)
Ore/Mineral

1980

1990

2000

2010

Coal*

1,11,000

1,86,044

2,10,448

2,76,810

Lignite*

2,855

5,687

29,390

39,897

Tin (metal in tonnes)

1,752

65,699

65,699

65,699

Tungsten ore

38.9

53.68

53.68

53.68

Copper ore

455

509.54

512.24

608.31

Lead-Zinc ore

241

466

531.25

532.57

Iron ore*

11,470

13,651

13,651

13,843.94

Manganese ore

95

150

155.77

180.77

Bauxite

2,489

2,631

2,631

2638.67

10

Limestone

72,229

74,443

81,712

84,936.57

11

Dolomite

3,738

3,958

4,086

4,086

12

Gold Ore

9.84

22.01

54.38

144.38

13

Chromite

17

135

146

146

14

PGE

14.2

15.04

15

Molybdenum

5.62

15.42

16

Rock phosphate

139

196

199

199

17

Potash

78

404

404

18

China clay

2,200

2,231

Sl.
No.

* Includes resource augmented by other agencies.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

31

Notes :

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

32

Monazite rich beach sands, Kerala

Type Section of Tertiary Warkalli Formation, Kerala

Leucite

Ptygmatic Fold, Munsiari, Pithoragarh

Brittle_Ductile Deformation, Tehri Garhwal

Snowball garnet, Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh

The Hope, The Koh-i-Noor, The Great Mogul, The Regent

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA AT A GLANCE

Director General, Geological Survey of India, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata-700016 (India)
Ph: +91 33 22861661/76 l E-mail: [email protected] l Visit us at: http://www.portal.gsi.gov.in
2012