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Study of alteration associated with uranium occurrences in sandstone and its detection by remote sensing methods

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6825865
The present study is a detailed investigation of alteration associated with tabular uranium occurrences in the San Raphael Swell, Utah, and remnants of roll-front type deposits in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Field and laboratory spectral reflectance studies on these uranium deposits or occurrences have been carried out. These have been supplemented with mineralogical and chemical analyses to determine the origin of spectral features observed. The principal alteration products are: (a) goethite/limonite (Utah deposits) and (b) geothite/limonite and hematite (Wyoming deposits). The principal clay mineral present in the deposits is montmorillonite. Statistical analysis of the field data was performed using a stepwise linear discriminant function analysis computer program. This program determines which combinations of input wavelength bands provide best separation of specified groupings of data. Altered and unaltered rocks could be repeated with 95% accuracy using spectral data including all wavelength bands. Of the satellite-simulated wavelength region tests, Landsat D bands gave the best classification accuracy.
Research Organization:
Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-13-1664
OSTI ID:
6825865
Report Number(s):
GJBX-120(78)(Vol.1)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English