Reconnaissance study of uranium deposits in the Red Desert, Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Abstract

Introduction __ ______________ __ __________ _ 238 Purpose of the investigation.___ _ _ __ 239 Field work and acknowledgments _ __. ____ _ 239 Previous work._ __._ _____________ _____________ ___ 239 Location and physiography __________ ____________ ______ 240 Accessibility_____________________.___._________ 240 General geology 241 Sedimentary rocks-_ ____________________ __ ___ 241 Igneous rocks______ _________________ _________ ___ 242 Structure______________ _ _ _ _ _. 242 Geologic history 243 Radioactivity.- .-__ __________________________ ____ 244 Uranium deposits 245 Uraniferous lignite. _________________________________ _ 246 Distribution______________________________ 246 Geology_________________________________ 248 Radioactivity.-________________________ _ ______ 250 Origin______.__ ..________.____________-_ 253 Lost Creek schroeckingerite deposit______________________ 254 Location and history _ ______________ ____ 254 Geologic setting. _______ ________ _________ ______ 256 Mineralogy _______ ___ _________ _.__-. 260 Schroeckingerite_______________________________ Other uranium minerals._________________________ Ore bodies___________._____________._____.-Grade_________.._____________________... Auger-testing program of 1950__ __ Sampling and logging procedures__________________-_____ Geologic results.._______________________ Distribution of uranium____________________________ Origin___________________________________ Aids to prospecting______________________________________ Future outlook__________________________________ Literature cited.._______________________________ Stratigraphic sections... _________ ___ _ _ Analyses....______________________________________________ Auger-hole data.____________________________________________ Index________________________________________ 307 m Page TABLE 1. Comparison of radioactivity measurements, Red Desert,Wyo_ 245 2. Summary of paleontologic data, Red Desert, Wyo______ 249 3. Analyses of material other than lignite, carbonaceous shale, schroeckingerite, or water, Red Desert, Wyo_____________ 4. Analyses of water samples (ppm), Red Desert, Wyo__-___._ 5. Spectrographic analyses (in percent), of uraniferous lignite, Red Desert, Wyo____________________________ 284 6. Analyses of radioactive lignite, carbonaceous shale, clinker, and ash, Red Desert, Wyo_______________-7. Analyses of rock samples, Lost Creek schroeckingerite deposit.