Uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites of the United States

Technical Report · Mon Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5201124· OSTI ID:5201124

Adams, J. W.; Arengi, J. T.; Parrish, I. S.

This report is part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program designed to identify criteria favorable for the occurrence of the world's significant uranium deposits. This project deals specifically with uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites in the United States and, in particular, their distribution and origin. From an extensive literature survey and field examination of 44 pegmatite localities in the United States and Canada, the authors have compiled an index to about 300 uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites in the United States, maps giving location of these deposits, and an annotated bibliography to some of the most pertinent literature on the geology of pegmatites. Pegmatites form from late-state magma differentiates rich in volatile constituents with an attendant aqueous vapor phase. It is the presence of an aqueous phase which results in the development of the variable grain size which characterizes pegmatites. All pegmatites occur in areas of tectonic mobility involving crustal material usually along plate margins. Those pegmatites containing radioactive mineral species show, essentially, a similar distribution to those without radioactive minerals. Criteria such as tectonic setting, magma composition, host rock, and elemental indicators among others, all serve to help delineate areas more favorable for uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites. The most useful guide remains the radioactivity exhibited by uranium- and thorium-bearing pegmatites. Although pegmatites are frequently noted as favorable hosts for radioactive minerals, the general paucity and sporadic distribution of these minerals and inherent mining and milling difficulties negate the resource potential of pegmatites for uranium and thorium.

• Research Organization: Derry, Michener and Booth, Inc., Golden, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC13-76GJ01664
• OSTI ID: 5201124
• Report Number(s): GJBX-166(80)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050100* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Reserves
Exploration
& Mining
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
CHEMISTRY
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GRANITES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
METALS
MINERALOGY
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
ORIGIN
PEGMATITES
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
THORIUM
THORIUM ORES
URANIUM
URANIUM DEPOSITS
USA