Multivariate analysis based on geochemical, isotopic, and mineralogical compositions of uranium-rich samples

Loretta Corcoran; Antonio Simonetti; Tyler L. Spano; Stefanie R. Lewis; Corinne Dorais; Stefanie Simonetti; Peter C. Burns

doi:10.3390/min9090537

Multivariate analysis based on geochemical, isotopic, and mineralogical compositions of uranium-rich samples

Loretta Corcoran, Antonio Simonetti, Tyler L. Spano, Stefanie R. Lewis, Corinne Dorais, Stefanie Simonetti, Peter C. Burns

Materials & Chemistry Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The chemical and isotopic (U, Pb, Sr) signatures for a suite (n = 23) of pristine (gt;80 wt. % UO2) and altered uraninite samples (gt;70-80 wt. % UO2) from various locations worldwide have been determined for the purpose of identifying potential fingerprints for nuclear forensic analysis. The characterization of the uraninite samples included determination of major, minor and trace element contents, Sr, Pb, and U isotopic compositions, and secondary mineral assemblages. Due to the multivariate approach adopted in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed to allow the direct comparison of multiple variable types. The PCA results indicate that the geological origin (sandstone, metamorphite, intrusive, granite and unconformity) of pristine uraninite can be readily identified utilizing various combinations of major and/or trace element concentrations with isotopic compositions.

Original language	English
Article number	537
Journal	Minerals
Volume	9
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/min9090537
State	Published - Sep 2019

Funding

Funding: This research was funded by the United States Department of Homeland Security, grant number DHS-14-DN-077-191ARI-01.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Homeland Security	DHS-14-DN-077-191ARI-01

Keywords

Nuclear forensics
Principal component analysis
Uraninite
Uraninite provenance

Access to Document

10.3390/min9090537

Cite this

@article{646fa75efe544d1ba2c4d9f7246f16e7,

title = "Multivariate analysis based on geochemical, isotopic, and mineralogical compositions of uranium-rich samples",

abstract = "The chemical and isotopic (U, Pb, Sr) signatures for a suite (n = 23) of pristine (gt;80 wt. % UO2) and altered uraninite samples (gt;70-80 wt. % UO2) from various locations worldwide have been determined for the purpose of identifying potential fingerprints for nuclear forensic analysis. The characterization of the uraninite samples included determination of major, minor and trace element contents, Sr, Pb, and U isotopic compositions, and secondary mineral assemblages. Due to the multivariate approach adopted in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed to allow the direct comparison of multiple variable types. The PCA results indicate that the geological origin (sandstone, metamorphite, intrusive, granite and unconformity) of pristine uraninite can be readily identified utilizing various combinations of major and/or trace element concentrations with isotopic compositions.",

keywords = "Nuclear forensics, Principal component analysis, Uraninite, Uraninite provenance",

author = "Loretta Corcoran and Antonio Simonetti and Spano, {Tyler L.} and Lewis, {Stefanie R.} and Corinne Dorais and Stefanie Simonetti and Burns, {Peter C.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2019",

month = sep,

doi = "10.3390/min9090537",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

journal = "Minerals",

issn = "2075-163X",

publisher = "MDPI",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multivariate analysis based on geochemical, isotopic, and mineralogical compositions of uranium-rich samples

AU - Corcoran, Loretta

AU - Simonetti, Antonio

AU - Spano, Tyler L.

AU - Lewis, Stefanie R.

AU - Dorais, Corinne

AU - Simonetti, Stefanie

AU - Burns, Peter C.

PY - 2019/9

Y1 - 2019/9

N2 - The chemical and isotopic (U, Pb, Sr) signatures for a suite (n = 23) of pristine (gt;80 wt. % UO2) and altered uraninite samples (gt;70-80 wt. % UO2) from various locations worldwide have been determined for the purpose of identifying potential fingerprints for nuclear forensic analysis. The characterization of the uraninite samples included determination of major, minor and trace element contents, Sr, Pb, and U isotopic compositions, and secondary mineral assemblages. Due to the multivariate approach adopted in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed to allow the direct comparison of multiple variable types. The PCA results indicate that the geological origin (sandstone, metamorphite, intrusive, granite and unconformity) of pristine uraninite can be readily identified utilizing various combinations of major and/or trace element concentrations with isotopic compositions.

AB - The chemical and isotopic (U, Pb, Sr) signatures for a suite (n = 23) of pristine (gt;80 wt. % UO2) and altered uraninite samples (gt;70-80 wt. % UO2) from various locations worldwide have been determined for the purpose of identifying potential fingerprints for nuclear forensic analysis. The characterization of the uraninite samples included determination of major, minor and trace element contents, Sr, Pb, and U isotopic compositions, and secondary mineral assemblages. Due to the multivariate approach adopted in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been employed to allow the direct comparison of multiple variable types. The PCA results indicate that the geological origin (sandstone, metamorphite, intrusive, granite and unconformity) of pristine uraninite can be readily identified utilizing various combinations of major and/or trace element concentrations with isotopic compositions.

KW - Nuclear forensics

KW - Principal component analysis

KW - Uraninite

KW - Uraninite provenance

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073357415&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/min9090537

DO - 10.3390/min9090537

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85073357415

SN - 2075-163X

VL - 9

JO - Minerals

JF - Minerals

IS - 9

M1 - 537

ER -

Multivariate analysis based on geochemical, isotopic, and mineralogical compositions of uranium-rich samples

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this