HEAVY MINERAL DISTRIBUTION AND PROVENANCE OF VAIPPAR BASIN SEDIMENTS,SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA

Auger samples have been collected from 18 stations of Vaippar river, i ts tributaries and beach for heavy mineral distribution and provenance studies. The heavy mineral distribution varies from 3.14 to 27.31% in the river sediments and 62.83% in the beach. While the absence of gla ucophane characterise the upstream sediments, the abnormal increase of zircon, opaque, epidote, muscovite, topaz and tremolite signifies the beach. The upstream sediments are dominated by colourless garnet whil e the downstream sediments are enriched with pink garnet. The results of Q-mode factor analysis indicate the metamorphic and plutonic assemb lages like granulites, gneisses and granites as source rocks for the V aippar basin sediments. It also evidences the contribution from off-sh ore source to the Vaippar beach.