Photogeological mapping in parts of Cuddapah basin Kurnool and Prakasam Districts of Andhra Pradesh

An area of 2500 sq. Km. has been covered by photogeological mapping with selected field checks which forms a part of Cuddapah basin in the Kumool and Prakasam Districts of A.P. The rocks exposed in the area belong to the Cumbum and Bairankonda Formations of Cuddapah Super Group. They occur more or less as an alternating sequence. These formations are bound on the east by Dharawar gneisses and on the west by Nandyal Shales. The Bairankonda Formation is predominantly arenaceous with quartzite as the main member, being easily identifiable in the aerial photographs by its characteristic topography, coarse drainage, light grey tone etc. The Cumbum Formation is mainly argillaceous with slate/phyllite as the main member, intercalated with minor quartzite band and is expressed on the photographs in dark tone with dendritic to sub-parellel drainage and occurs relatively at lower elevations, mostly in plains. The Dharwar (Archaean) gneisses underlying the vast plains in the east are recognised by the sandy nature of soil and by the thrusted contact of this unit with the Bairankondas. The Nandyal Shales occupying the large cultivated area in west have a darker tone and a dendritic drainage pattern. They are Upper Kurnool in age. All the litho-units have undergone pre-Kurnool deformation resulting into plunging/doubly plunging antiforms and synforms trending NNE-SSW and a few shear zones and faults. Due to severe deformation a very prominant foliation has developed in the Cumbum unit. Groove lineation has also been developed in the hinge portions of major folds. The magmatic activity in these formations has been witnessed with the emplacement of reibeckite syenite and Kimberlite plugs and veins. Geomorphologically the area may be divided into two prominant units namely (i) Denudational landforms comprising (a) hills, ridges, inselbergs, bornhardts and hogbacks on Bairankonda quartzites and phyllites (b) pediment and dissected pediment on Cumbum Shales and Dharwar gneisses and (ii) Depositional landforms such as (a) alluvial fans and colluvial fans (b) alluvial valley fills along river courses and (c) sand dunes in Dharwar gneisses.