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Uraninite

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Synonyms

Pitchblende; Uranium oxide

Definition

Uraninite is a highly radioactive cubic mineral of chemical formula UO2. It is ubiquitous in granite but in small quantities. It is the main source of uranium in ore deposits and it contains also minor amounts of radium, thorium, and helium. Pitchblende is the name given to ore that contains a mixture of uraninite and some other minerals. The presence of detrital uraninite in ca. 2.7–2.9 Witwatersrand conglomerates in South Africa is taken as evidence of the reduced state of the Archean atmosphere. The appearance of large uranium ore deposits in the early Proterozoic is related to the Great Oxygenation Event.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GEOTOP Research Center for Geochemistry and Geodynamics, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, H3C 3P8, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Daniele L. Pinti

Authors
  1. Daniele L. Pinti
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Correspondence to Daniele L. Pinti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Pinti, D.L. (2014). Uraninite. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1632-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1632-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Uraninite
    Published:
    26 November 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1632-4

  2. Original

    Uraninite
    Published:
    14 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1632-3

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