NAGPUR | Feb 09, 2017: Yogesh Murkute, a senior assistant professor of geology at the Nagpur University's geology department said ground water is a good indicator of the minerals existing in the earth's crust around the area.

Murkute was speaking to TOI on the sidelines of a national symposium on challenges and strategies in mineral exploration and mining organized by the Gondwana Geological Society.

"Earlier the existence of various minerals especially harmful elements like fluoride and arsenic etc in the ground water was considered as an indication of water pollution in the area. Now this is considered as an indication of these minerals in the near vicinity," said Murkute.

Hydro-geochemical surveys have shown presence of various minerals like copper, molybdenum and even gold and uranium.

"The fundamental principles of aqueous geochemistry bring out the means to understand element mobility and helps in interpreting the dispersion patterns. It has applications in mineral exploration and environmental hazard studies," said Murkute.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)