Uranium geochemistry, mineralogy, geology, exploration and resources

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. History of radioactivity

   • Paolo Gasparini

   Pages 1-3

3. Uranium in mantle processes

   • Massimo Cortini

   Pages 4-11

4. Transport and deposition of uranium in hydrothermal systems at temperatures up to 300°C: geological implications

   • Samuel B. Romberger

   Pages 12-17

5. Geochemical behaviour of uranium in the supergene environment

   • Gaetano Dongarra

   Pages 18-22

6. Uranium exploration techniques

   • Chester E. Nichols

   Pages 23-42

7. Uranium mineralogy

   • Deane K. Smith Jr.

   Pages 43-88

8. Time, crustal evolution and generation of uranium deposits

   • R. W. Hutchinson, J. D. Blackwell

   Pages 89-100

9. Uranium exploration

   • Richard H. De Voto

   Pages 101-108

10. Geochemistry of uranium in the hydrographic network

    • Bernard Soyer

    Pages 109-116

11. Uranium deposits of the world, excluding Europe

    • Robert G. Young

    Pages 117-139

12. Uranium deposits in Europe

    • Valery Ziegler, Jacques Dardel

    Pages 140-161

13. Uranium in the economics of energy

    • B. De Vivo, F. Ippolito

    Pages 162-166

14. Role of high heat production granites in uranium province formation

    • P. R. Simpson, Jane A. Plant

    Pages 167-178

15. Uranium deposits in Italy

    • Claudio Tedesco

    Pages 179-188

16. Back Matter

    Pages 189-201

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turning points that, in the course of a few years, have made this The uranium minerals that today are at the centre of worldwide metal an essential raw material. attention were unknown until 1780, when Wagsfort found a First, the destructive property of fission reactions made uranium a metal of fundamental strategic importance, increas­ pitchblende sample in 10hanngeorgenstadt. This discovery passed unnoticed, however, since Wags fort thought that it ing research in some nations, but the revolution came with the plan for the real possibility of utilizing chain reactions for contained a black species of a zinc mineral-hence the n':lme 'pitchblende' (= pitch-like blende). Seven years later, Klaproth, energy production in place of conventional fuels. while examining the mineral, noted that it contained an oxide Since that time a 'uranium race' has been in progress in many countries-often justified by the well-founded hope of of an unknown metal, which he called 'uranium' in honour of the planet Uranus, recently discovered by Herschel. Klaproth becoming self-sufficient with regard to energy, or at least of also believed that he had separated the metal, but, in fact, the paying off a part of the financial deficit due to increasing fuel imports.

• chemistry
• exploration
• geochemistry
• geology
• mineral
• mineralogy
• economic geology
• mineral resources

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