Fracturing around radioactive minerals: elastic model and applications |
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| Authors: | Jean-Marc Montel Richard Giot |
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| Institution: | 1. Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Géologie, Laboratoire Géoressources, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Rue du Doyen Marcel Roubault, 54500, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France
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| Abstract: | A simplified mechanical model of a metamict crystal swelling in a host mineral shows that enough stress is generated in the host to trigger its failure and the appearance of radial fractures, in agreement with geological observations. The maximum stress, which combines radial compression and concentric tension, occurs along the host–inclusion interface and should create radial fractures. The maximum stress mainly depends on the amount of swelling, on the inclusion stiffness, and on the resistance to shearing of the host mineral. The external pressure, the host bulk modulus, and the inclusions/host radius ratio are parameters of minor relevance. The influence of the inclusion does not extend beyond about five times its radius. The application of published experimental data shows that a swelling metamict mineral may create significant fracturing in the host mineral. However, many parameters for both host and inclusion minerals are not available, even for the application of such a simple model. We think that in some circumstances, swelling of metamict mineral and fracturing of host mineral may significantly affect the physical properties of rocks at a larger scale by creating a network of fractures connecting metamict (i.e. uranium and thorium bearing) minerals to the geological environment. |
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