Abstract

REYES-CORTES, M et al. Radioactive mineral samples from the northwest of Chihuahua City, México. Rev. mex. fis. [online]. 2007, vol.53, suppl.3, pp.23-28. ISSN 0035-001X.

The Chihuahua-Sacramento valley is an area of 6 km wide by about 32 km in length, it is located from north to south. In the area, at least two zones exist that may have rocks with radioactive minerals: The Pastorías zone at the SW and the Majalca-San Marcos zone to the NW. The latter, was the object of the present investigation. By studying the geologic conditions and the processes of alteration in the San Marcos deposits, its hydrothermal origin and the different (at least two) alteration stages that has transformed the alkaline rhyolitic rock into per-alkaline were determined, to do more favorable the conditions for the hexavalent uranium minerals deposits. In the mineralogical characterization the following radioactive species were identified: uranofane, metatyuyamunite and uraninite. These minerals were found also with secondary quartz-feldspar mineralization, with abundant hematization and an advanced process of argillization. The XRD, SEM and optical microscopy analyses of samples were very important for the accomplishment of the present investigation.

Keywords : Radioactive minerals; petrographic microscopy; X-ray diffraction; scanning electron microscopy; uranium deposits.

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