Natural radiation-induced damage in quartz; II, Distribution and implications for uranium mineralization in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada

The distribution of natural radiation-induced damage in quartz from the U-mineralized Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan has been studied by CL and e.p.r. method. With CL imaging, two generations of overgrowths on detrital quartz can be distinguished together with three types of alpha-particle-induced damage. Continuous CL rims occur not only in mineralized sandstones close to the unconformity at the Key Lake deposit, but are pervasively developed in the siliceous cap and along the unconformity at the McArthur River deposit. The restricted occurrence of of continuous CL rims suggest channelized U-bearing fluids in the Athabasca Basin.and that the U was present in early diagenetic fluids. The absence of radiation-induced damage in quartz from altered basement rocks below the McArthur River deposit supports the suggestion that basement fluids were poor in U. The common occurrence of radiation-induced damage in quartz from reactivated fractures, faults and voids provides further evidence for the mobilization of uranium.