Mineral Chemistry and Petrology of the Manganese Silicate Rocks of Vizianagaram Manganese Belt, Andhra Pradesh

The manganese silicate-carbonate rock or manganese protore occurring asa conformable band within Khondalite Group of rocks, represents metamorphosed impure manganiferous sediments comprising manganese carbonate admixed with silica and clay. This manganese protore differs from gondite as well as kodurite and resembles queluzite and hence this protore is equated with the queluzite type. The significance of the presence of knebelite (manganese olivine) in the protore as an indicator of an original carbonate-bearing sediment has been discussed. Besides, mineralogy and chemistry of the various constituent minerals of the prot ore have been presented.