Hyperspectral Signatures and Volumetric Study of Iron Ore from Kemmanagundi, Bababudan Hill Ranges of Karnataka State, India

Abstract

Iron is one among the oldest metals known to man and is quite rich in our country. 95% of the total iron reserves of India were accounted from few states such as Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Goa. Kudremukha and Donimalai is known for producing high grades of iron in Karnataka state. The present study aims to analyze the spectral signatures and volumetric determinations of iron ore deposits which were well developed and was being mined in Kemmanagundi of Bababudan hills in Chikmagalur district. Field random samples were collected for laboratory work and analysis in determining the spectral signature curves and volumetric content. The spectral signatures of any mineral will discriminated based on their characteristics features of absorption and reflectance curves. Volumetric analysis is generally one of the quantitative methods that deal with determination of amount of particular elements in tested sample. As demand of iron in India is expected to increase day by day this deposit has to be considered as an important one for its rich iron content of 69.8 percent of iron content occurring around Kemmanagundi of Bababudanhill range, Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. The final results show the presence of rich iron content around the study area.