Uranium-Bearing Magnesian-Calcrete in Surficial Environment from Khemasar, Churu District, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Magnesium-bearing calcretes of soft-gritty and hard pan varieties containing uranium concentrations from 16 to 74 ppm with <10 ppm of thorium are located along the Saraswati palaeochannel at Khemasar village, Churu district, Rajasthan. The uraniumbearing calcretes are exposed over an areal extent of 300 m × 200 m with thickness of up to 2 m in an interdunal depression. The silty sand layer occurring below the calcrete horizon suggests that it is a valley-fill calcrete, deposited along a palaeochannel. This occurrence of uraniferous Mg-calcrete in the Saraswati river palaeochannel opens up a large area for uranium exploration in the calcrete environment of Thar Desert. These calcretes are composed of 15.94% to 25.39% CaO, 7.15% to 22.39% MgO and Sr/Ba ratio up to 66.98. There is a positive correlation of U with Sr/Ba and MgO. The high Sr/Ba ratio and MgO indicate water of saline nature and high rate of evaporation. Ephemeral centripetal drainage mixing with the dissected palaeochannel waters and groundwaters, under arid climatic conditions might have resulted in the formation of this kind of uranium-bearing calcrete in fluvio-lacustrine environment.