Uranium Redox State in Cretaceous Marine Shales from Australia

Nine carbonaceous shale samples from the Cretaceous Toolebuc Formation show uranium (U) concentrations ranging from less than 5 to over 500 ppm. High-energy resolution fluorescence detection x-ray absorption spectroscopy characterized U speciation, revealing a significant proportion (~20 to 30%) exists as U(VI). The dataset was presented at the 2023 Goldschmidt Conference and is hosted by Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Modeling uranium redox behavior in organic-rich marine sediments based on U(VI) proportion data.
• Correlating uranium speciation with total organic carbon content (5.9 to 13.4 wt%) for geochemical analysis.
• Investigating nanoscale uranium associations with organic matter or sulphide minerals using NanoSIMS data.
• Assessing uranium mobilization potential in groundwater systems based on redox state findings.

Strengths

• Analysis includes nine shale samples with quantified total organic carbon (TOC) content ranging from 5.9 to 13.4 wt%.
• Uranium oxidation state is characterized using high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) x-ray absorption spectroscopy.
• Findings quantify a significant proportion of uranium (~20 to 30%) as U(VI) in reducing marine shales.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Australian formation studied.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

High-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) x-ray absorption spectroscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) on sediment samples.

Time Range

Cretaceous period (specifically the Toolebuc Formation).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 03:57:53.854204; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Toolebuc Formation of the Eromanga Basin, Australia.