About 40 miles northwest of Augusta, Graves Mountain is the site of an inactive kyanite mine. Although heavily excavated, its geology is still remarkable. University of Georgia geology and environmental students often take field trips to this site.
Many sites in the Appalachian piedmont have deposits similar to Graves Mountain. Evidently -- during closure of the Iapetus basin -- volcanic eruptions laid down underwater sediments of volcanic ash which were leached by hydrothermal activity, then metamorphosed by heat and pressure into kyanite and associated rocks. Rock and minerals at this site include meta-tuffs, sericite schist, kyanite, massive quartz, lazulite, and rutile.
Visiting this site requires permission from its owner, Combustion Engineering.
For further information on Graves Mountain, consult:
