Geochemistry of Sandstone Type Uranium Deposit in Tarat Formation from Tim-Mersoi Basin in Northern Niger (West Africa): Implication on Provenance, Paleo-Redox and Tectonic Setting (original) (raw)
2018, Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection
The study aimed at investigating the geochemistry of a sandstone-type uranium deposit in Tarat formation for provenance, paleo-redox, tectonic setting in order to propose a geological model of uranium. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Induced Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses were used to determine the sandstone composition. Major, trace and rare earth element compositions of the sandstones have been investigated to determine their provenance, tectonic setting and the influence of weathering conditions. Field studies of Tarat formation revealed that a major accident N30˚ that can be interpreted as an extension of the Austriche accident ensures the controls of Tarat sedimentation and mineralization deposits and the presence oxidized zone and reduced zone indicate the direction of circulation of the mineralized fluids from West to East. The uranium mineralization is disseminated as pitchblende that gives a yellow color to the sandstone while, molybdenum mineralization gives a blue color to the sandstone. Results of the Geochemical analysis indicate that the sandstone-type uranium deposit of Taratis classified into Protoquarzite (i.e. lithearenite and sublitharenite), arkose, subarkose, wacke and quartz arenite and varied in their maturity. Their Rare Earth Elements (REE) pattern displays high light REE over heavy REE, flat HREE and a significant negative Eu and Ce anomalies and in general correlated well with the NASC and PAAS average composition. The source area may have contained quartzose sedimentary rocks. The geochemical data support deposition in reducing environment of arid to humid climatic condi