Isotopic analysis was carried out on water and solid samples taken from both the ore zones and the general vicinity of two uranium mines in south Texas. The uranium deposits were of the roll-front type. The ore-bearing formations were the Catahoula Formation of Miocene age in Duval County and the Upper Jackson Formation of Eocene age in Karnes County. Solid samples were analyzed for ('234)U, ('238)U and ('230)Th, water for ('234)U and ('238)U. In order to test several models which have been proposed to explain the fractionation of various nuclides in the vicinity of a reduction-oxidation front, plots incorporating uranium concentration and ('234)U/('238)U activity ratio (AR) of the water and ('234)U/('238)U and ('230)Th/('238)U - ('234)U/('238)U of the solid were used. / The integration of data from each of these models, including contour maps of various isotopic parameters and statistical plots helped in predicting the presence, the stage of deposition (dispersing, stable or accumulating) and the degree of radioactive disequilibrium of the deposits under study. The uranium deposited at one mine has undergone a series of complex changes, including a possible change in the direction of the ground water flow system from southwest to north - northeast. The presence of a fault which acted as a conduit for the reductants and a separate ore deposit were successfully predicted. The occurrence of an upflow reduction and a downflow oxidation environments in one deposit was explained as due to episodic release of reductants from the fault. / The isotopic data were also useful in determining the position of the redox boundary and the environment of a sample. These methods may be useful in prospecting studies of other possible uranium deposits, both in the oxidized and/or the reduced environment. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: B, page: 2139. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74893 |
| Contributors | SAN JUAN, FRANCISCO CLAUDIO, JR., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 270 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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