Geochemical interpretation of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, orientation area
An orientation study has been made of uranium occurrences in the area of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. This is one of the orientation studies of known uranium occurrences that are being conducted in several geologic provinces and under various climatic (weathering) conditions to provide the technical basis for design and interpretation of NURE geochemical reconnaissance programs. The Kings Mountain area was chosen for study primarily because of the reported presence of high-uranium monazite. This 750-mi/sup 2/ area is in the deeply weathered southern Appalachian Piedmont and spans portions of the Inner Piedmont, Kings Mountain, and Charlotte geologic belts. Uranium concentration maps for ground and surface water samples clearly outline the outcrop area of the Cherryville Quartz Monzonite with highs up to 10 ppb uranium near the reported uraninite. Several surface water samples appear to be anomalous because of trace industrial contamination. Uranium concentration maps for -100 to +200 mesh stream sediments indicate the area of monazite abundance. Several samples with >100 ppM uranium content appear to be high in uranium-rich resistate minerals. When the uranium content of sediment samples is ratioed to the sum of Hf, Dy, and Th, the anomaly pattern shifts to coincide with uranium highs in ground and surface water samples. False anomalies from concentrations of monazite (Ce,ThPO/sub 4/), xenotime (Y,DyPO/sub 4/), and zircon (Zr,HfSiO/sub 4/) in stream sediment samples can thus be eliminated. Residual anomalies should be related to unusual uranium enrichment of these common minerals or to the presence of an uncommon uranium-rich mineral. Tantalum, beryllium, and tin in stream sediments correspond to high concentrations of uranium in stream and ground water but not to uranium in sediments. In an initial reconnaissance, several media should be sampled, and it is essential to correct uranium in sediments for the sample mineralogy.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- E(07-2)-1
- OSTI ID:
- 7257880
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-77-10; CONF-770314-6; TRN: 77-012861
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance, Grand Junction, CO, USA, 16 Mar 1977
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NORTH CAROLINA
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
URANIUM DEPOSITS
PROSPECTING
CORRELATIONS
DATA ANALYSIS
GROUND WATER
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
SOUTHEAST REGION
USA
WATER
050200* - Nuclear Fuels- Exploration- (-1987)