Chattanooga Shale, Tennessee

Fission reactors consume the only naturally occurring fissile isotope, namely, U-235. Fission occurs as the result of absorption of slow (thermal) neutrons. Uranium ores contain the following isotope distribution 6 x 10 of U-234, 7.11 X 10- of U-235, and 0.99283 of U-238. Chattanooga shale is a typical deposit it was formed 33-29 million years ago and is widely distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee (Swanson, 1960). The Gassaway member of this shale deposit is about 16 feet thick. 

Conant, L.C. and Swanson, V.E. (1961). Chattanooga Shale and Related Rocks of Central Tennessee and Nearby Areas, USGS Professional Paper 357. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, DC. 

Conant L. C. and Swanson V. E. Chattanooga Shale and related rocks of central Tennessee and nearby areas. Prof. Pap. U.S. geol. Surv. 357, 1961, 91 p. 

KehnT. M. Uranium in the Chattanooga shale. Youngs Bend area. Eastern Highland Rim, Tennessee. Rep. U.S. geol. Surv. TEI-528-A, 1955, 60 p. 

The black shale of the Chattanooga Formation in Tennessee is an example of a large low-grade resource of uranium. The mineralized portion of this Devonian. shale occupies. several counties, but mineralized horizons tens of metres thick average only about 0.0. % U,0,(. For the mo.st part, rocks of this type are not of economic importance, unless political considerations dictate otherwise. 

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