Magnetic Anomalies and Basement Structure Around Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam Districts of Andhra Pradesh, India

A systematic regional magnetic survey was carried out in the districts of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam in Andhra pradesh, India comprising an area of 15, 000 sq. km of eastern migmatite zone of Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt. The magnetic anomalies are very noisy, varying between −1300 nT and +700 nT in amplitude and correlate very poorly with the surface geology. Upward continuation of these anomalies brought out distinct magnetic anomaly trends, running along NE-SW on the south and turning later to E-W on the north, consistent with the folding pattern of Eastern Ghats. Based on the termination of anomaly closures and displacement of anomaly trends, five faults, all striking approximately in the N-S direction, were inferred. From inversion of anomaly profiles, it is established that the anomalies are produced by structures in the magnetic basement composed of charnockites.