The ideas and scientific works of F.I. Wolfson and their current implications for the geology of uranium deposits

Abstract

The outstanding contribution of Professor F.I. Wolfson to the origination and development of Russian science and practice in the field of geology of uranium deposits is emphasized. Under his guidance, a team of highly skilled specialists on uranium deposits was gathered at the Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, in Moscow. Owing to their efforts, all significant uranium deposits in the former Soviet Union and socialist bloc countries have been studied comprehensively. A theory of uranium ore formation was developed on this basis, and elaborated practical recommendations promoted the creation in the Soviet Union of the world’s largest uranium resource sources. Today, Wolfson’s ideas and works are widely used in planning and carrying out complex investigations at operating uranium deposits and in new promising uranium districts.