Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in Alaska, 1953

Trace Elements Investigations 442
This report concerns work done on behalf of the Division of Raw Materials of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
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Abstract

During the summer of 1953 the areas investigated for radioactive deposits in Alaska were on Nikolai Creek near Tyonek and on Likes Creek near Seward in south-central Alaska where carnotite-type minerals had been reported; in the headwaters of the Peace River in the eastern part of the Seward Peninsula and at Gold Bench on the South Fork of the Koyukuk River in east-central Alaska, where uranothorianite occurs in places associated with base metal sulfides and hematite; in the vicinity of Port Malmesbury in southeastern Alaska to check a reported occurrence of pitchblende; and, in the Miller House-Circle Hot Springs area of east-central Alaska where geochemical studies were made. No significant lode deposits of radioactive materials were found. However, the placer uranothorianite in the headwaters of the Peace River yet remains as an important lead to bedrock radioactive source materials in Alaska. Tundra cover prevents satisfactory radiometric reconnaissance of the area, and methods of geochemical prospecting such as soil and vegetation sampling may ultimately prove more fruitful in the search for the uranothorianite-sulfide lode source than geophysical methods.

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in Alaska, 1953
Series title Trace Elements Investigations
Series number 442
DOI 10.3133/tei442
Year Published 1955
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description 29 p.
Time Range Start 1953-01-01
Time Range End 1953-12-31
Country United States
State Alaska
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