A novel nuclear forensic tool involving deposit type normalized rare earth element signatures

• DOI: 10.1111/ter.12275
• Publication Date: 2017-05-30T13:52:07Z
• Authors: Tyler L. Spano; Antonio Simonetti; Thomas Wheeler; Grace Carpenter; Devonee Freet; Enrica Balboni; Corinne Dorais; Peter C. Burns
• Keywords: Radiogenic nuclide; Rare-earth element; Paragenesis; Uranium ore; Trace element

Abstract Identifying the provenance of uranium‐rich materials is a critical objective nuclear forensic analysis. Rare earth element ( REE ) distributions within uranium ores are well‐established indicators, but quantifying and correlating trace signatures for U to known deposits has thus far involved intricate statistical analyses. This study reports average chondrite normalized CN )‐ important deposit types worldwide, which then employed evaluate ore paragenesis using simple linear regression technique provides straightforward method that can aid in determining type based on their abundances, combined with other indicators (e.g. radiogenic isotope signatures) provide essential information materials.