Statistical study of geochemistry and mineralogy of uraniferous lake beds in Oligocene Brule Formation in northwestern Nebraska

Conference · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:5567057

Dickinson, K A ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (USA)

A small area of uranium enrichment is present in an evaporitic lake deposit of the Oligocene Brule Formation about 16 mi northeast of Chadron in northwestern Nebraska. Detrital sediments in the lake beds consist of quartz, feldspar, montmorillonite, illite, and volcanic shards. Minerals precipitated from lake waters are calcite, dolomite, and gypsum; they represent increasing concentration, in that order, of dissolved solids in lake waters. Diagenetic minerals are mainly opal and chalcedony and some calcite, dolomite, and gypsum. Elements mainly associated with detrital sediments include Al, Fe, K, Ti, Na, Li, and Cu. Elements mainly associated with chemical precipitates and diagenetic minerals are Ca, Sr, Si, Mn, and U. Silica and uranium were probably derived from volcanic ash abundant in the sediments. Uranium was deposited in the most evaporitic lake phases. No zeolites or authigenic clay minerals were found in any lake facies. Altered ash beds within the Brule contain abundant authigenic montmorillonitic clay that was apparently reworked before or during lacustrine deposition. Strontium is associated with gypsum and was apparently deposited in that mineral as a substitute for Ca. Uranium is associated with strontium, but probably only because they were both deposited during the most evaporitic periods of lake deposition. Uranium was not linked to any other element in a factor analysis (for four factors), which accounted for only about 27% of the variation in uranium.

• OSTI ID: 5567057
• Report Number(s): CONF-8910195--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 73:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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