Abstract
The Kupferschiefer in Poland has an increased U content. The facies high in organic matter are significantly enriched in U. The maximum values of U are mostly in the lower part of the Kupferschiefer sequence. The mean (x) U content in the Kupferschiefer from the Lubin-Sieroszowice district is 61.5 ppm and from the rest of the Polish Zechstein basin is about 26 ppm. Thorium occurs only in small quantities (x) = 1.5 and 5 ppm respectively). The high variance of U and Th in the Kupferschiefer is due to multistage diagenetic processes. The main U carrier is thucholite. The investigated thucholite showed a Th-content below 0.36 ppm. Thucholite with uraninite exolutions showed small (up to 1.0 wt.%) admixtures of U and thucholite without microscopically visible exsolutions (up to 37.85 wt.% U). The phosphates showed significant amounts of U (up to 0.24 wt.). The U content in the Kupferschiefer is significantly lower than in black shales from other part of the world. Uranium in the Lubin district is not economic.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altschuler, Z.S.: The geochemistry of trace elements in marine phosphatites. Part 1, Characteristic abundances and enrichment. SEPM Spec. Publ. 29:19–30 (1980)
Banaś, M., Jarosz, J., Salamon, W.: Thucholite from the Permian copper-bearing rocks in Poland. Mineral. Polon. 9.2:3–19 (1978)
Banaś, M., Mayer, W., Picstrzyński, A.: Black-shale formation in Poland. Proceedings of the IGCP 254,1988 Metalliferous Black Shales, Geolog. Sur., Prague. Pasawa, J. Gabriel, Z. Ed 83–86 (1988)
Bates, T.F., Strahl, E.O.: Mineralogy and chemistry of uraniumbearing black shales. In: 2nd UN. Int. Conf. Peaceful Uses Atomic Energy, Geneva, 2:407–411 (1958)
Baturin, G.N.: States of phosphorite formation on the ocean floor. Nature: Phys. Sci. 232, 29:61–62 (1971)
Baturin, G.N., Dubinchuk, V.T.: Phosphorites on the sea floor and their origin. Mar. Geol. 31:317–332 (1978)
Björlykke, K.: Depositional history and geochemical composition of Lower Paleozoic epicontinental sediments from the Oslo region. Norg. Geol. Untersuch. 305:1–81 (1974)
Carlson, O.: The Ranstad project and other Swedish projects and possibilities. Mining Jour. Books Ltd. London: 203–211 (1972)
Chayes, F.: Petrographic modal analysis. Wiley, Eds, pp. 113, Wiley New York, London (1956)
Cullen, D.J.: The uranium content of submarine phosphorite and glauconite deposits on Chatham Rise, East of New Zealand. Marin Geol. 28:67–76(1978)
Grabczak, J., Niewodniczański, J.: Natural radiation of the copper ore from th Lower Silesia deposit. In polish. Nukleonika. 7.2:115–129 (1962)
Jowet, C.E.: Genesis of Kupferschiefer Cu-Ag deposits by convective flow of Rotliegendes brines during Triassic rifting. Econ. Geol. 81:1823–1836 (1986)
Kucha, H.: Platinum-group metals in the Zechstein copper deposits. Poland. Econ. Geol. 77:1578–1591 (1982)
Kucha, H., Pawlikowski, M.: Two-brine model of the genesis of strata-bound Zcchstein deposits Kupferschiefer type, Poland. Mineral. Deposita 21:70–80 (1986)
Manheim, F.T., Gulbrandsen, R.A.: Marine phosphorites. Reviews in Mineralogy. Marine minerals. Roger G. Burns, Eds. 6:151–170 (1979)
McSwingen, P.L., Morey, G.B., Weiblen, P.W.: Uranium in early Proterozoic phosphate-rich metasedimentary rocks of Eastcentral Minnesota. Econ. Geol. 81:173–183 (1986)
Mayer, W, Piestrzyński, A.: Ore minerals from Lower Zechstein sediments at Rudna mine, Fore-Sudetic Monocline, SW Poland. Prace Mineral. WG Warszawa. pp. 82 (1985)
Mayer, W., Piestrzyński, A.: Francolite from the Lower Zechstein sediments, Rudna mine, Fore-Sudetic Monocline. Mineral. Polon. 17, 1:77–86 (1986)
Oszczepalski, S.: On the Zechstein Copper shale lithofacies and palaeoenvironments in SW Poland. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. 22:171–182 (1986)
Oszczepalski, S., Rydzewski, A.: Palaeogeography and sedimentary model of the Kupferschiefer in Poland. Lecture Notes in Earth Sci. The Zechstein Facies in Europe. 10. pp. 189–205, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1987
Piestrzyński, A.: Uranium and thorium in the Lubin polymetallic ore deposits, Fore-Sudetic Monocline, SW Poland. Mineral. Polon. 20, 1:41–57 (1988a)
Piestrzyński. A.: Thucholite from Lubin polymetallic deposit, new data. N. Jb. Miner. Abh. 160:57–60 (1988b)
Piestrzyński, A., Polakowski, T.: Copper-bearing shales from Polish Lowland in the Jarocin region. In pol. Annales Soc. Geolog. Polon. 56:133–141 (1986)
Ramdohr, P.: The ore minerals and their intergrowths. Pergamon Press, pp. 1174 (1969)
Rogers, J.J.W., Adams, J.A.S.: Uranium — Abundance in common sedimentary rocks, 92-K-1–92-K-5, in: Wedepohl, K.H. Eds. Handbook of Geochemistry II-5. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1978
Rydzewski, A.: Oxidized faciès of the Kupferschiefer sediment on the Fore-Sudetic Monocline area. In pol. Przegl. Geol. 26: 102–108 (1978)
Rydzewski, A., Ważny, H.: Petrographic-geochemical investigation of the Lower Zechstein sediments in Lebork-bore hole. In pol. Kwart. Geol. 6:583–603 (1962)
Starinsky, A., Katz, A., Klodny, Y.: The incorporation of uranium into diagenetic phosphorite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 46:1365–1374 (1982)
Turekian, K.K., Wedepohl, K.H.: Distribution of the elements in some major units of the earth's crust. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 72:175–192 (1961)
Vine, J.D., Tourtelot, E.B.: Geochemistry of black shale deposits, a summary report. Econ. Geol. 65:235–272 (1970)
Volkov, I.I.: Fundamental regularities in the distribution of chemical elements in deep-sea strata of the Black Sea. Lithol. and Mineral. Res. Moskva. 2:3–23 (1973)
Zieliński, R.A.: The mobility and distribution of heavy metals during the formation of first cycle Red Beds. Econ. Geol. 78:1574–1589 (1983)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Piestrzyński, A. Uranium and thorium in the Kupferschiefer formation, Lower Zechstein, Poland. Mineral. Deposita 25, 146–151 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208858
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208858