Basin-related uranium systems

这项研究涉及来自女王大学的研究人员和来自Raven Minerals的专家，他们将专注于确定控制沉积盆地中铀迁移和降水的关键因素，并预测加拿大特定盆地系统内可能存在新的铀矿床的位置。之所以选择沉积盆地，是因为它们供应着世界上大部分的铀，而且最有可能蕴藏着未来的资源。这项研究将需要四年时间完成，涉及多个HQP(3个Research Associates，3个PDF，3个PhD，2个MSc，4个BSC)，并将重点研究加拿大盆地的三种铀矿化类型，包括：(1)与不整合相关的矿床，即最高品位的矿床，研究重点是加拿大的Athabasca盆地；(2)陆相碳酸盐(钙凝石型)矿床及其在加拿大西部的赋存潜力；(3)砂岩矿床，利用怀俄明州和科罗拉多州的矿床来评估这些矿床是否可能在加拿大出现。这项研究将审查已知的矿床形成的时间、所需的环境、对固定和保存矿床至关重要的化学反应、矿床是如何演变的，以及如何通过整体盆地分析和表面采样来确定加拿大的铀矿化区。拟议的研究还将使人们了解控制近地表环境中元素迁移的关键因素，包括铀的可能来源和使用其同位素的探路者元素。这将影响勘探，因为有更高的能力了解如何在深部对此类矿藏进行化学“成像”。对加拿大工业的好处是认识到加拿大盆地极具远景和可能贫瘠的地区，以及发现隐蔽铀矿的新勘探工具和战略，其技术同样适用于其他大宗商品。对女王大学的研究人员和学生的好处是，有可能在以前未被研究的领域进行研究，使用和开发包括同位素追踪在内的新分析技术，以及接触到现实世界的探索计划和协议。

This study involves researchers from Queen's University and experts from Raven Minerals who will focus on identifying the critical factors that control uranium mobility and precipitation in sedimentary basins, and predict where new uranium deposits may reside within specific basin systems in Canada. Sedimentary basins have been selected because they supply most of the world's uranium and are most likely to contain future resources. The research will require four years to complete, involve several HQP (3 Research Associates, 3 PDFs, 3 PhD, 2 MSc, 4 BSc), and will focus on three styles of U mineralization in basins in Canada including: (1) unconformity-related deposits, the highest grade deposits, with research focused on the Athabasca Basin in Canada; (2) terrestrial carbonate (calcrete-type) deposits and their potential to occur in Western Canada Basin; and (3) sandstone-hosted deposits using those in Wyoming and Colorado to assess whether these deposits are likely in Canada. The research will examine when known deposits formed, what environments are required, what chemical reactions were critical in fixing and preserving the deposits, how the deposits have evolved and how areas of uranium mineralization in Canada can be identified through holistic basin analysis and surface sampling. The proposed research will also provide an understanding of the critical factors controlling element migration in the near surface envionment, including the likely source of uranium and pathfinder elements using their isotopes. This will influence exploration given the higher capacity to understand how such deposits can be chemically "imaged" at depth. The benefits to Canadian industry are recognition of both highly prospective and likely barren areas of basins in Canada and new exploration tools and strategies for discovery of undercover uranium deposits, with techniques that are equally applicable to other commodities. The benefits to Queen's researchers and students are the possibility to conduct research in previously understudied areas, the use and development of novel analytical techniques including isotope tracing, and exposure to real-world exploration programs and protocols.