| Title | Hydrothermal alteration in hydro-fractured Athabasca Basin sandstone: distal expression of uranium mineralization? |
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| Author | Percival, J B ;
Bosman, S A; Potter, E G; Ramaekers, P; Venance, K E; Hunt, P
A; Davis, W; Jefferson, C W |
| Source | Exploration and Mining Geology vol. 21, 2013 p. 63-77 |
| Links | Online - En ligne
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| Image |  |
| Year | 2013 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130392 |
| Publisher | Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| NTS | 74H |
| Area | Moon Lake; Cigar Lake; Key lake |
| Lat/Long WENS | -106.0000 -104.0000 58.0000 57.0000 |
| Subjects | mineralogy; geochronology; hydrothermal alteration; clays; alteration; illite; kaolinite; quartz; uranium; mineralization; cores; mineral assemblages; zircon dates; Athabasca Basin; Manitou Falls
Formation; Athabasca Group |
| Illustrations | geological sketch maps; photomicrographs |
| Program | GEM: Geo-mapping for Energy and
Minerals Uranium |
| Released | 2013 01 01 |
| Abstract | A 10-cm thick clay-rich layer near the top of the Manitou Falls Formation of the Athabasca Group is unusual in its breccia texture, alteration, and detrital mineral composition relative to the adjacent
overlying and underlying sedimentary beds. This layer is composed of angular quartz grains set in an illite >> kaolinite + dickite matrix. Deformed clay-rich fragments within the layer have very similar mineral assemblages.
the presence of
euhedral accessory minerals including Ti-oxides and aluminophosphatesulphate minerals points to a diagenetic/hydrothermal origin. The presence of individual grains of K-feldspar and amphibole is unusual relative to the typical Athabasca quartz
arenite; originally, these minerals were probably included in detrital quartz and subsequently liberated during fracturing. The textures and alteration characteristics suggest that this layer is a hydraulically-fractured unit, which has experienced
hydrothermal fluid alteration -- a possible pathway distally related to uranium mineralization. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 293461 |
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