Structural Study through Aeromagnetic Data for Mineral Prospecting in Betul-Chhindwara Area, M. P.

The aeromagnetic map of Betul-Chhindwara area, contains two magnetic domains namely 'A' representing high amplitude anomalies falling over Deccan Traps and domain 'B' represented by moderate amplitude anomalies falling over gneiss and Gondwana Supergroup. The qualitative interpretation of aeromagnetic data has brought out several linears and discontinuities, which show the presence of various magnetic bodies and fractures/faults/shears/contacts respectively. The magnetic linears were found to trend mainly in ENE-WSW direction and few in E-W, NE-SW and NW-SE directions. The prominent magnetic discontinuities trending in ENE-WSW directions were found to be intersected by NW-SE, NE-SW and nearly N-S trending discontinuities at places. One of these prominent discontinuities was found to fall along granitic gneiss and others at the contact of gniesses with Gondwana Supergroup in northern part and with Deccan Traps in southern part. One prominent discontinuity was found within Gondwana Supergroup in the northern part and another in the southeastern part over the known Gavilgarh fault. The magnetic discontinuity obtained in the gneissic complex was found to fall over the known sulphide mineralisation near Banaskhapa-Piparia etc. and thus assumes importance for prospecting sulphide minerals all along the discontinuity.

The quantitative interpretation was carried out by computing the radial power spectrum and by 2-D modelling of selected anomalies. The Radial power spectrum yielded two interfaces at the depths of 0 871 km and 9 461 km from observation plane (1080 m above msl). The shallow layer map is similar to that of the terrain corrected map whereas the deep layer map indicated the gradients corroborating with the discontinuities mentioned above excepting the one falling over granitic gneiss which was reflected as a broad elongated magnetic low. The results of 2-D modelling over ten selected anomalies suggest that most of the bodies are very shallow excepting two The dips of most of the bodies were found m between 6°-25° and few between 32°- 48°.