The book is structured thematically, encompassing principles, processes and products, practice and applications. Discussion of processes that control heavy mineral assemblages throughout the rock cycle are presented by leading experts, whose key-note works are followed by specialist case studies. Each work also provides details on the geology of the study area, techniques and data treatment. The high number of contributions represent the collective experience and wisdom of generations of geologists, and provide an invaluable source of references to works carried out in many parts of the world.* Presents a unique and authoritative resource of immediate relevance and practical use to the researcher and applied geologist * Contains case studies demonstrating the broad range of applications of heavy minerals in a variety of modern and ancient geological settings, and in resource exploration * Includes examples of geological problems from employing heavy mineral analysis and establishing criteria that can be applied before deciding to undertake a study

Although some handbooks on the microscopic identi In Part I the concept of heavy mineral analysis is fication of heavy mineral grains are available, a introduced and the relative significance of factors comprehensive manual illustrated in colour has not affecting heavy mineral assemblages is discussed. There been published until now. Because the appearance of are brief references to the commonly used laboratory minerals in grain mounts differs considerably from methods and auxiliary techniques. It concludes with those seen in a thin section, a different approach is some examples of the application of heavy mineral necessary for the identification of detrital grains. studies. Coloured photomicrographs, showing their colour Part II contains the descriptions of 61 transparent shades, pleochroism and interference tints, provide heavy mineral species, including those which are an excellent means of assisting recognition. As a commonly authigenic in sediments. Positive identi number of mineral grains have similar optical proper fication of authigenic minerals is important to avoid ties and morphology, it is equally important to confusion and to help recognition of diagenetic describe them verbally in detail, pointing out events. In the mineral descriptions considerable characteristic features and differences. emphasis is placed upon detrital morphology and This book is intended primarily as a manual that diagnostic features. Optical properties and character describes and illustrates the transparent heavy min istics are detailed, together with information on host erals most commonly found in sediments. It is hoped rocks.

The principal aim of this book is to provide a wide range of information and a useful reference for researchers interested to investigate heavy mineral assemblages in different geological settings and for a variety of purposes. The methodological developments achieved in recent years for the identification of heavy minerals in a wide grain-size range are illustrated. All factors that affect heavy mineral concentration and relative proportions, including hydraulic sorting, mechanical abrasion, chemical weathering, and post-depositional dissolution, and all factors able to introduce analytical, environmental, or diagenetic bias are thoroughly addressed. A proper integration of multiple techniques including bulk sediment, multi-mineral, and single-mineral methods are discussed by renowned authors in their invited contributions.

Scholarly work on sedimentology. Each article is signed and has a bibliography. Illustrated. Indexed.

The geology of six geographically separated but geneti- cally related heavy-mineral placer deposits are investigated along 40 miles of coastal-marine sandstone outcrops comprising the McCourt Sandstone Tongue. The heavy- mineral placer deposits consist of dark-brown to black, fine- to medium-grained, ferruginous sandstones that occur in elongated lenses that are as much as 6.6 ft thick and 2,000 ft long. The placer deposits are mostly intercalated with light-gray or tan quartzose shoreline sandstones that offlapped southeastward across the study area and formed a strand plain during a regression of the interior Cretaceous sea. The placers were deposited along a single shoreline during one stage of the regression. The heavy-mineral placer deposits are composed of about 85 percent opaque iron minerals, mostly magnetite, hematite, and ilmenite, and about 15 percent nonopaque minerals, mostly zircon, with minor amounts of tourmaline, rutile, garnet, sphene, hornblende, apatite, and traces of other minerals. The depositional settings are river mouth, berm, forebeach, surf, and middle shoreface, where the segregation of light and heavy minerals took place by fluvial, marine, and eolian processes. A plutonic source for most of the heavy minerals was probably the Sevier orogenic belt located 150-250 miles west of the study area. The heavy-mineral deposits in the McCourt Tongue are analogous in origin to that of heavy-mineral deposits that are presently forming along the southeast Atlantic and gulf coasts of the United States.