Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”

Rock Sequences of India • These are igneous rocks but now they
have been metamorphosed by losing their
• Sir T.S. Holland (Geological Survey of original form.
India) presented the Indian Geological • It is found at great depth. These are
Time Scale and classified Indian considered as the basic rocks of India.
geological history into four Divisions. • Minerals are found in these rocks but
their exploitation is not possible due to
complex structure.
• Fossils are not found in these.
• These rocks are found on 2/3rd part of
peninsular India.
• It is mainly found in Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Meghalaya and
south-eastern Rajasthan.
• Mainly gneiss and cyst rocks are found in
the rocks of this order.
In India, these rocks are divided into
three classes –
1. Bengal Nice
2. Bundelkhand Nice
3. Nilgiri Nice

Archean rocks
• These rocks are formed by the cooling of Dharwad Rocks
the hot earth. • These rocks are formed from the
• These are the oldest rocks found in India. sediments of rocks of Archaean order.

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 Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”
• These are the oldest sedimentary rocks of • These rocks are mainly known for
India which have now been asbestos, slate, limestone etc.
metamorphosed. • These rocks are found in Andhra Pradesh,
• Most of the rocks of this order have been Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Odisha.
obtained from Dharwad district of • The Eastern Ghats are also a part of the
Karnataka, hence they are called Dharwad rocks of this order.
rocks.
• Fossils are not found in these rocks. These Vindhyan rocks
are rocks rich in metallic minerals. Iron • These are sedimentary rocks that have
ore, manganese, gold, copper, lead, zinc, been metamorphosed.
silver, chromium are found in them. • These rocks are mainly widespread in
• Gold is found in Kolar district in the rocks Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
of this sequence. These are the most Pradesh and Bihar. These rocks range
important rocks of India from economic from Sasaram (Rohtas district) in Bihar in
point of view. the east to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan in the
• These rocks are mainly found in west and from Agra in the north to
Karnataka (Dharwad, Bellary, Shimoga), Hoshangabad (M.P.) in the south. is
Chhattisgarh, Odisha (Dandakaranya widely spread.
Plateau), Meghalaya, Jharkhand (Chhota • Limestone, sandstone, marble, dolomite,
Nagpur), Rajasthan (Aravalli Mountains), quartzite, shale etc. are mainly found in
Gujarat (Champaner Hills). these rocks.
• These rocks are mainly used as building
stone. The Red Fort, Sanchi Stupa etc.
have been made from the rocks of this
sequence.
• The limestone found in this series of rocks
is used in the cement industry.
• Emerald, a Golconda diamond is found in
the rocks of this sequence.

Cuddapah Rocks
• These rocks have been formed from the
sediments of rocks of Dharwad order.
• These rocks have been metamorphosed.
• Fossils are not found in these rocks.
• These rocks are named after the
Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh.
• These rocks are less important from the
economic point of view than the rocks of
the Dharwad sequence.

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 Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”

Dravidian Rocks Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra

• These are sedimentary rocks which were Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
formed in the Palaeolithic period.
• Fossils are found in these rocks. Tertiary Rock
• These rocks are mainly found in Jammu • The rocks of this order were formed in the
and Kashmir. third Kalpa of Navajivan Mahakalp.
• Anthracite coal is found in the rocks of • The Himalayan Mountains have been
this order. formed from the rocks of this sequence.
• Fossil fuels found in Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Gondwana Rocks Assam and Tamil Nadu are found in rocks
• The rocks of this sequence were formed of this order. (Coal, petroleum, natural
between the Carboniferous to the Jurassic gas) Karewa in Kashmir was also built in
period. this sequence.
• Fossils are found in these rocks.
• Some parts of western Rajasthan and Quaternary rocks
Gujarat were submerged in the Jurassic • This is the latest rock found in India.
period itself. • In the Pleistocene era, the Thar Desert,
• Bituminous coal is found in these rocks. the plains of Indus, the Rann of Kutch, the
98% of the coal found in India is found in plains of the Ganges, and the rocks found
rocks of this order. in them were formed.
• These rocks are important for India from • Holocene is the current era and the rocks
economic point of view and energy of this era are still being formed.
security.
• Coal found in these rocks is mainly found
in river valley areas. Like- Damodar River
Valley, Mahanadi River Valley, Godavari
River Valley, Son and Wardha River
Valley.
• These rocks are mainly found in
Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP,
Telangana.

Deccan Rocks
• Rift volcanoes erupted in peninsular India
during the Cretaceous period of the
Middle Ages.
• Due to the spread of basalt lava coming
out of it, basalt rocks are found in the
rocks of the Deccan sequence, due to
weathering of which black soil is formed.
• Deccan trap is mainly found in south-
eastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,

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 Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”
There are many different kinds of rocks • The process of cooling and solidification
which are grouped under three families can happen in the earth’s crust or on the
on the basis of their mode of formation. surface of the earth.
• Igneous rocks are classified based on
1. Igneous Rocks: Igneous rock is formed texture. Texture depends upon size and
by the solidification of magma and lava. arrangement of grains or other physical
This is also known as the primary rock. Ex. conditions of the materials.
Granite and Basalt etc. • If molten material is cooled slowly at
2. Sedimentary Rocks: Sedimentary rocks great depths, mineral grains may be very
are the result of deposition of fragments large.
of rocks by exogenous processes. This is • Sudden cooling (at the surface) results in
also known as the secondary rocks. Ex: small and smooth grains.
sandstone, limestone, shale etc. • Intermediate conditions of cooling would
3. Metamorphic Rocks: Metamorphic result in intermediate sizes of grains
Rocks formed from already-existing rocks making up igneous rocks.
that are undergoing recrystallization. • Granite, gabbro, pegmatite, basalt,
Tertiary rocks are another name for volcanic breccia and tuff are some of the
metamorphic rocks. Ex: phyllite, schist, examples of igneous rocks.
gneiss, quartzite and marble etc. • The process of cooling and solidification
can happen in the earth’s crust or on the
Igneous Rocks: surface of the earth.

Sedimentary Rocks:

• The word ‘sedimentary’ is derived from

the Latin word sedimentum, which means
settling.
• Rocks of the earth’s surface are exposed
to denudational agents and are broken up
• Igneous rocks form out of magma and lava into various sizes of fragments.
from the interior of the earth, they are • Such fragments are transported by
known as primary rocks. different exogenous agencies and
• The igneous rocks are formed when deposited. These deposits through
magma cools and solidifies. When magma compaction turn into rocks. This process
in its upward movement cools and turns is called lithification.
into solid form it is called igneous rock.

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 Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”
• In many sedimentary rocks, the layers of • Metamorphism occurs when rocks are
deposits retain their characteristics even forced down to lower levels by tectonic
after lithification. processes or when molten magma rising
• Number of layers of varying thickness in through the crust comes in contact with
sedimentary rocks like sandstone, shale the crustal rocks or the underlying rocks
etc. are subjected to great amounts of
• Depending upon the mode of formation, pressure by overlying rocks.
sedimentary rocks are classified into • Mechanical disruption and
three major groups: reorganization of the original minerals
▪ Mechanically formed: Sandstone, within rocks due to breaking and crushing
conglomerate, limestone, shale, loess without any appreciable chemical
etc. changes is called dynamic
▪ Organically formed: Geyserite, chalk, metamorphism. The materials of rocks
limestone, coal etc. chemically alter and recrystallise due to
▪ Chemically formed: Chert, thermal metamorphism.
limestone, halite, potash etc. • There are two types of thermal
metamorphism:
Metamorphic Rocks: 1. Contact meta-morphism:
o In contact metamorphism the rocks
come in contact with hot intruding
magma and lava and the rock
materials recrystallise under high
temperatures.
o Quite often new materials formed out
of magma or lava are added to the
rocks.
2. Regional metamorphism:
o Rocks undergo recrystallisation due
to deformation caused by tectonic
shearing together with high
temperature or pressure or both.
o In the process of metamorphism in
some rocks grains or minerals get
arranged in layers or lines.
o Such an arrangement of minerals or
• The word metamorphic means ‘change of grains in metamorphic rocks is called
form’. These rocks form under the action foliation or lineation.
of pressure, volume and temperature o Sometimes minerals or materials of
(PVT) changes. different groups are arranged into
• Metamorphism is a process by which alternating thin to thick layers
already consolidated rocks undergo appearing in light and dark shades.
recrystallisation and reorganization of Such a structure in metamorphic
materials within original rocks. rocks is called banding and rocks

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 Indian Geography Class Notes- APNI PATHSHALA “एक कदम उज्जवल भववष्य की ओर”
displaying banding are called banded • Sedimentary rocks themselves can turn
rocks. into fragments and the fragments can be a
• Types of metamorphic rocks depend source for formation of sedimentary
upon original rocks that were subjected to rocks.
metamorphism. • The crustal rocks once formed may be
• Metamorphic rocks are also classified into carried down into the mantle through
two major groups such as foliated rocks subduction process and the same melt
and nonfoliated rocks. Gneissoid, Syenite, down due to increase in temperature in
Slate, Schist, Marble, quartzite etc. are the interior and turn into molten magma,
some examples of metamorphic rocks. the original source for igneous rocks.

Rock Cycle

• Rocks do not remain in their original form

for long but may undergo transformation.
• Rock cycle is a continuous process
through which old rocks are transformed
into new ones.
• Igneous rocks are primary rocks and
other rocks (sedimentary and
metamorphic) form from these primary
rocks.
• Igneous rocks can be changed into
metamorphic rocks.
• The fragments derived out of igneous and
metamorphic rocks form into
sedimentary rocks.

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