western desert of Iraq were studied. The uppermost part of the clastic unit contains thin,
placer-like black sandstone horizons that are radioactive and abnormally rich in heavy
minerals (0.6–56%), dominated by opaque (65%) and transparent (35%) heavy minerals.
The minerals, in the order of decreasing abundance are pseudorutile, goethite, zircon,
hematite, magnetite, monazite, rutile, leucoxene, tourmaline, ilmenite, chromite, and few …