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Precipitation of uraninite in chlorite-bearing veins of the hydrothermal alteration zone (argile de pile) of the natural nuclear reactor at Bangombe, Republic of Gabon

Conference ·
OSTI ID:382900
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences
  2. Silesian Univ., Sosnowiec (Poland). Dept. of Earth Sciences
This paper describes the mineralogy of a phyllosilicate/uraninite/galena-bearing vein located within the hydrothermal alteration halo associated with the Bangombe reactor. Phyllosilicates within the vein include a trioctahedral Al-Mg-Fe chlorite (ripidolite), Al-rich clay (kaolinite and/or donbassite) and illite. Textural relations obtained by backscattered-electron imaging suggest that ripidolite crystallized first among the sheet silicates. Uraninite is spatially associated with ripidolite and probably precipitated at a later time. While energy-dispersive X-ray analyses suggest that the uranium phase is predominantly uraninite, coffinite or other phases may also be present.
OSTI ID:
382900
Report Number(s):
CONF-941075--; ISBN 1-55899-253-7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English