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Movement of the Redox Front at a Uranium Mine at POÇOS De Caldas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Leonardo Romero ,
Wars Neretnieks  and
Luis Moreno
Leonardo Romero
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Wars Neretnieks
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Luis Moreno
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract

In an open pit uranium mine at Pogos de Caldas (PDC) in Brazil, uranium oxide has accumulated at the redox front. The redox front forms and moves by the oxidation of pyrite in the rock by oxygen infiltrating with rainwater. The rock was formed nearly 90 million years ago by volcanic activity. Between 3 and 12 km of rock has eroded away since the formation of the rock. The redox front lies between tens and several hundred meters below the ground surface. The front is uneven and locally there are redox “fingers” which extend to depths of hundreds of meters. The redox fingers are often associated with fractures or fracture zones.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 257: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XV , 1991 , 459
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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