ILMENITE FROM THE CHAVARA DEPOSIT, INDIA - A CRITICAL-EVALUATION

The mineralogical status of ilmenite from a prominent modern placer de posit of India is illustrated using different techniques. Compositiona l, powder XRD, TGA and SEM analyses prove that consistent low temperat ure alteration took place in Chavara ilmenite leading to the formation of a pseudorutile-hydrated-ilmenite stage. Except for the indication of a geochemical zonation at the southern tip of the deposit, the Chav ara ilmenite points to a common origin throughout its 22 km stretch al ong the coast. We advocate a major segregation activity by marine fact ors to the accumulated sediments in the shelf zone in order to origina te such a huge deposit of homogeneous composition.