ABSTRACT
The paper reports for the first time a variety of pseudosinkholes in granitic rocks of the Bastar craton, central India. The pseudosinkholes are lenticular, elongated, rectangular, triangular, heart-shaped, neck-like, ameboidal, oval, and circular. Their length ranges from a few cm to 1.2 m and width from a few cm to 0.9 m, with a depth up to 0.9 m. They occur either singularly or in groups, with their density varying from 1–5 pseudosinkholes/km2 to 20–30 pseudosinkholes/km2. Locally, 50 pseudosinkholes/km2 are also present. The morphology of pseudosinkholes is controlled by intensity and direction of joints, outcrop slopes, and differential dissolution of constituent minerals. Only some of the pseudosinkholes are interconnected. Most of them are though exposed, but filled with clays and/or lateritic materials, while others are not. Their downward development has been retarded by formation of clays along joint planes. Though most of the pseudosinkholes (70%) remain dry for a major part of the year (except during rainy season), some of them (20%) contain water for 7–8 months, whereas only a few among them (10%) retain nominal quantities of water throughout the year.
