Monazite in the granitic rocks of the southeastern Atlantic States: An example of the use of heavy minerals in geologic exploration

The principal part of this report is a discussion of the three monazite belts and the descriptions of the panned concentrates that justify their delineation, details that constitute an example of the use of heavy minerals in regional geologic exploration. The tenors of accessory minerals in rocks from the monazite belts in Viginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama are listed, and where possible these mineralogical data are translated into genetic interpretations. The origin of the monazite belts is discussed in the light of the mineralogical data, from which it is concluded that the beltlike distribution of monazite is analogous to a petrographic province.