GEOMORPHIC CONTROLS OF THE CHITTAMGONDI BAUXITE DEPOSIT, VISAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA-PRADESH

Bauxite cappings occur discontinuously, along a linear stretch amidst the Eastern Chats comprising khondalite and charnockite groups of rock s, in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. These cappings/deposits , by virtue of their proximity to the eastern coastline of India, are christened as the East Coast Bauxite deposits. The East Coast Bauxites of Andhra Pradesh include the Anantagiri, Chintapalli, Gurtedu and Pa deru groups of deposits. The Anantagiri group comprises Galikonda, Chi ttamgondi, Raktakonda and Kutuki deposits. The Chittamgondi bauxite de posit, characterised by multi-directional slopes, is preserved in a si ckle shaped synformal structure. Furthermore, the maximum thickness of bauxite, viz., 54 m, amongst the East Coast Bauxite deposits, investi gated so far, has been recorded in it. As has already been established for other East Coast Bauxite deposits, the geomorphological setup and morphometry have played a pivotal role in the formation of the Chitta mgondi bauxite deposit.