More info about natural nuclear fission going critical 2 Million years ago?

In summary, the conversation discusses a chapter on "Energy from the Nucleus" in a physics textbook and the discovery of a natural nuclear reactor in West Africa. The conversation also mentions that there is a Wikipedia article and a forum discussion available for further information. Finally, the conversation mentions a possible use for this natural reactor as a model for nuclear waste disposal.
  • #1
CPW
51
30
TL;DR Summary
I find it fascinating that there is evidence from a uranium mine in West Africa that there may likely have been a nuclear fission natural reactor that went critical 2 million years ago. More info availble online at PF or somewhere else?
This week I read through the chapter "Energy from the Nucleus" inside the familiar intro physics textbook Halliday, Resnick, Walker. I found it fascinating that there is evidence from a uranium mine in West Africa that there may likely have been a nuclear fission natural reactor that went critical 2 million years ago. Is there more information availble online at PF or somewhere else, where the reader can go deeper?
 
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  • #3
"Studies have suggested this as a useful natural analogue for nuclear waste disposal." Very interesting!
 
  • #4
CPW said:
Is there more information availble online at PF
https://www.physicsforums.com/search/3706040/?q=Oklo&o=date
 
  • #5
I recall reading an article on this many years ago (1980s?). It was published in either Scientific American or Smithsonian magazine.
 

1. What is natural nuclear fission?

Natural nuclear fission is the process by which certain elements, such as uranium, spontaneously split into smaller atoms, releasing energy in the form of heat and radiation.

2. How does natural nuclear fission occur?

Natural nuclear fission occurs when a large, unstable atom, such as uranium-235, absorbs a neutron and splits into two smaller atoms, releasing more neutrons and energy in the process.

3. What is meant by "going critical" in relation to natural nuclear fission?

Going critical refers to the point at which a nuclear reaction becomes self-sustaining. In the case of natural nuclear fission, this means that enough neutrons are being released to continue the chain reaction and sustain the release of energy.

4. How do we know that natural nuclear fission went critical 2 million years ago?

Scientists have discovered natural nuclear reactors in Oklo, Gabon, which were active approximately 2 billion years ago. The presence of fission byproducts and the ratio of certain isotopes in the surrounding rocks provide evidence that these reactors went critical and sustained nuclear reactions for hundreds of thousands of years.

5. Is natural nuclear fission still occurring today?

Yes, natural nuclear fission is still occurring today, but at a much slower rate than it did 2 billion years ago. This is because the concentration of uranium-235, the main isotope involved in natural fission, has decreased over time due to radioactive decay.

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