Surficial origin of North American pitchblende and related uranium deposits

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7227485

Langford, F F

The ubiquitous association of pitchblende uranium deposits with terrestrial sediments is believed to be the natural result of formation of the orebodies by surficial processes operating under continental conditions. The major uranium deposits of North America illustrate this. The quartz-pebble conglomerate uranium deposits of Elliot Lake, Ontario, have thorium-rich uranium minerals that indicate a detrital origin. With the development of an oxygenic atmosphere before 1,700 m.y. ago, uranium was transported in solution in meteoric surface and near-surface ground water, and produced pitchblende veins in fractures in the basement and in lava flows in terrestrial environments. This accounts for the closee association of fluvial sediments with the pitchblende deposits at Beaverlodge, Rabbit Lake, Baker Lake, and Great Bear Lake, Canada. The development of land plants about 300 m.y. ago produced favorable environments within the terrestrial sandstones themselves, and resulted in the tabular uranium orebodies of the Colorado Plateau. The close relation of tabular orebodies to sedimentation is apparent when compared to recent fluvial sedimentation. In Wyoming, the stratigraphic restriction of the boundary-roll deposits to a few zones in Eocene rocks results from their being remobilized tabular deposits.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, CA
• OSTI ID: 7227485
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 61:1; ISSN AAPGB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050200* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Exploration-- (-1987)
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
CANADA
CHEMISTRY
COLORADO PLATEAU
ELEMENTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
METALS
MINERALS
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
PITCHBLENDE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTS
STRATIGRAPHY
URANINITES
URANIUM
URANIUM DEPOSITS
URANIUM MINERALS