Geology of Assam

Assam, the state famous for its Bihu dances and the rhinos of Kaziranga National Park also has a substantial contribution to the Indian economy through the production of oil and a variety of other minerals. The mineral rich geology of Assam is a topic of much interest and research for their probable commercial potential.

Assam, located in the North Eastern region of India, has a diversified geological spectrum. It is located near the hairpin bend of the Himalayas. Hence the extreme geostatic pressures exerted on the landmass during the creation of the Himalayas have resulted in Assam having large areas of sedimentary deposits. This explains the huge amount of oil found in places like Digboi, Bongaigaon etc.

Cachar district of Assam is a huge storehouse of limestone. Limestone, which is basically Calcium Carbonate, is primarily a sedimentary rock which is used in a plethora of purposes namely construction, interior decoration etc. Karbi Anglong District and North Cachar hills have substantial reserves of coal. Of the four types of coal namely Peat, Lignite, Bituminous and Anthracite, the third kind is readily available out here.

Karbi Anglong is also rich in Kaolin (China Clay) deposits. Another district, Morigaon, contains extensive reserves of granite. The famous Dhubri district has an approximate reserve of more than ten million tones of Iron Ore. Of the four kinds of Iron ore, Haematite, Magnetite, Limonite and Siderite, the region is predominant in Haematite deposits. Not to be outdone, Nagaon district has got very high reserves of Glass Sand. Thus it can be unanimously vouchsafed that the geology of Assam depicts a rich repository of minerals with its diversified geographical structure.