Tectonically-Controlled Gold Mineralisation in Chigargunta Area, South Kolar Schist Belt, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh

Several parallel to sub-parallel auriferous mineralised zones of economic significance occur over a strike length of 3 km and spread over a width of about 1 km in 'Chigargunta area of South Kolar schist belt. The host rocks for mineralisation are metamorphosed basalt and acid tuff ('Champion gneiss'). The mineralised zones represent ductile shear zones transecting the regional north-south trending schistosity (S₂) at low angle. The pre-existing planar and linear fabrics of the rocks have been rotated into parallelism with the shear zone. The shear zones display mylonitic foliation with prominent downdip lineation, folds of variable orientation, boudinaging and crenulations. Such deformation features are confined only to these strongly tectonised zones believed to have evolved by simple shear deformation. A progressive grain size reduction accompanied by hydrothermal retrogressive metamorphism of the amphibolite facies host rocks culminates laterally into the centre of the mineralised zones with lower grade greenschist assemblage. Nondilatant pegmatite veins and some high temperature alteration minerals indicate possible strain heating. The auriferous lodes occurring in Kolar Gold Field might have a simiiar tectonic evolution.