Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of uranium enrichments in rocks and stream sediments around yeşilöz(Nevşehir)

Within the scope of this study, rock and stream sediment samples were collected along the drainage networks around Yeşilöz (Nevşehir) and drainage geochemistry prospection studies, detailed mineralogical and chemical analysis studies were carried out in the region. Although previous studies revealed the presence of uranium in the region, a detailed mineralogical study was not carried out. In this direction, mineralogical and chemical analyses were carried out on the collected rock and stream sediment samples by Raman, XRF, XRD, SEM, ICP-MS methods. The presence of uranium in the samples was determined by XRD, SEM, ICP-MS and XRF analyses. The chemical analysis results in the rock samples show that uranium concentrations are higher than in the stream sediments and reach up to 950 ppm. As a result of the mineralogical examinations in the rock samples, metatorbernite, uraninite, coffinite minerals were determined. Berlinite, clarkeite minerals were determined in the stream sediment samples. Uranium, which is seen as opaque in thin section studies, was determined with its characteristic structure in bright section studies. In order to fully identify uranium minerals, luminescence properties of some minerals were revealed with the help of ultraviolet light. Elements and minerals that uranium is found together with were evaluated within the scope of the study and determined in the analyses. By calculating the threshold value in stream sediment samples, the elements with which uranium has a high positive correlation (Nd, Pr, Th, La, Ce, Se) and uranium enrichment areas were determined on the sample location map. The anomaly map shows that uranium enrichments are in the east-west direction of the basin.