Uranium geochemistry of selected rock units from the Marysvale Volcanic Field, Piute County, Utah
The Marysvale Volcanic Field is an area rich in uranium. This study was undertaken to determine if the uranium deposits might be of volcanogenic origin. This geochemical study consisted of determining the major, minor and trace element concentrations of the major volcanic units, and the relationships of the rock chemistry to uranium mineralization. The units in the Marysvale Volcanic Field, consist of ash-flow tuffs, intermediate lava flows, and associated intrusives of the Bullion Canyon volcanics and ash-flow tuffs, volcaniclastic deposits, domes and stocks of the Mount Belknap volcanics. When compared to overlaying welded tuff or rhyolitic units, the vitrophyric samples from the Mount Belknap volcanic units, are all enriched in F, Cs, and U, and that 50% of the vitrophyres are enriched in Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Zr, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn. Overlying untis have been devitrified and have released U as well as other trace elements into the volcanogenic system. This study has reevaluated the Marysvale Central Mining District and has proposed another theory as to the origin of the uranium deposits in that area. This hypothesis places a previously unidentified caldera around the area, and this author has named it the Marysvale caldera. Evidence for this caldera includes: arcurate faults which surround the region; alteration patterns which appear to form a circular pattern along the boundary of the proposed caldera; the presence of small monzonite intrusive bodies appear to ring the caldera; the presence of ash-flow tuffs which thicken appreciably along the northeast boundary of the caldera; and the central intrusive which may represent a resurgent phase of the proposed caldera. This seems to be a viable alternative to the magmatic hydrothermal origin for the uranium deposits presently proposed for the Central Mining District.
- OSTI ID:
- 6250063
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
URANIUM DEPOSITS
GEOCHEMISTRY
UTAH
CALDERAS
CESIUM
CHROMIUM
COPPER
FLUORINE
LEAD
MOLYBDENUM
NICKEL
RHYOLITES
STRONTIUM
TRACE AMOUNTS
TUFF
URANIUM
VANADIUM
ZINC
ZIRCONIUM
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HALOGENS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VOLCANIC ROCKS
050200* - Nuclear Fuels- Exploration- (-1987)