Authors / CoAuthors
Schofield, A.
Abstract
Magmatic-related uranium resources are globally significant. Nevertheless, this class of uranium mineralisation is poorly represented among Australia's total known resources. This is despite the presence of numerous uranium-rich magmatic events distributed across a large part of the country, and across a vast span of geological time. To assess the potential for magmatic-related uranium mineral systems in Australia, three maps have been produced showing the uranium contents of Australian igneous rocks. Geological datasets incorporating both solid and surface geology, as well as geochemical data, have been compiled from a diverse range of open-file sources. This Record is intended to provide background information relating to these data sources and methodologies used in the production of the maps. The maps illustrate the large spatial extent of uranium-rich igneous rocks in Australia, with occurrences in all jurisdictions where uranium exploration is currently permitted. The maps also permit ready recognition of particularly enriched rocks on a pluton or wider scale. Identification of these areas has application to exploration for magmatic-related uranium systems, as well as certain basin-related uranium systems, where uranium-rich igneous rocks formed part of the metal source. Analysis of the compiled geochemical data reveal that high uranium content is most commonly associated with evidence of extensive fractional crystallisation. Fluorine contents, bulk rock composition, melt temperature, and temporal setting are also important. This preliminary interpretation demonstrates that an applied understanding of well-known igneous processes is able to account for the observed uranium content in uraniferous igneous rocks. Recommendations are given for future avenues of investigation into the prospectivity of Australian igneous rocks for magmatic-related uranium mineral systems, based on an understanding of the geochemical behaviour of uranium in igneous processes.
Product Type
document
eCat Id
68762
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
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2601
Australia
Keywords
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- GA PublicationRecord
- ( Theme )
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- commodities
- ( Theme )
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- mineral exploration
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- AU
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Earth Sciences
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- Published_External
Publication Date
2009-01-01T00:00:00
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geoscientificInformation
Series Information
Record 2009/017
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