This paper presents field geological and petrographic aspects of various granitoid units occurring around Khatgaon area in the southeastern part of district of Maharashtra. The study area is bestowed with granitoids of Archaean to Proterozoic age overlain by Deccan basalts of Cretaceous age. Three main types of granitoids were identified in the study area viz., older granites, gneissic/foliated younger granites. These granitoid rocks are traversed by dykes, veins and veinlets of felsic and mafic composition. Although these granitoids are similar in mineralogy, they exhibit differences in petrographic characteristics. The granitoids of the study area, especially the gneissic granitoids, comprise felsic and mafic lenticular enclaves of different sizes. Petrographically older and younger granitoids show medium to fine-grained, porphyritic and inequigranular textures. The gneissic rocks foliation. At the contact of mafic enclaves and gneissic zones, conspicuous variation in mineralogy is observed in thin-sections. Presence of enclaves indicates coexistence and mixing of both felsic and mafic magmas at the source. The typical textures perthitic, graphics and lamellar twinning indicate a direct magmatic origin for these granitoid rocks. The presence of pyrite mineralization at Khatgaon indicates late stage hydrothermal activity associated with felsic veins.

In India silica sands are produced from loosely consolidated sands and weakly cemented sandstones ranging from Recent to Pre-Cambrian in age. In this paper an attempt has been made to estimate the silica sand resources, belonging to Holocene age, located at about 20km east of Gudur town, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh. Silica sand occurs in this region as dunes of marine origin covering an area of 110 Sq.Km. Ayyavaraiah et al (2013) reported that production and reserves estimated and declared by State Mines & Geology and Indian Bureau of Mines do not match and a difference exists. Hence an attempt has been made to estimate the actual reserves of silica sand deposits of this area using Google Earth imagery, GIS and field auger hole data. The total area that was mined already is about 9.538 Sq.Km. amounting to 117 Million Tons of silica sand that was produced in past 10-15 years with 59 Million Tons still to be excavated in the currently active mines. By surface area mapping using GIS, the prospective areas for further exploration and exploitation are suggested, giving rise to total prospective reserves of silica sand of 849 Million Tons.