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

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the chapter "Energy from the Nucleus" in the physics textbook by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, highlighting the discovery of a natural nuclear fission reactor in West Africa that may have gone critical 2 million years ago. Participants express interest in accessing more information about this phenomenon, noting that while there is a Wikipedia article on the topic, it primarily discusses the reactor's occurrence 1.7 billion years ago, not its relevance to uranium mining. The conversation also mentions that studies have proposed this natural reactor as a potential model for nuclear waste disposal. Additionally, there is a reference to an article from the 1980s in either Scientific American or Smithsonian magazine that further explores this subject.
CPW
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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?
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
"Studies have suggested this as a useful natural analogue for nuclear waste disposal." Very interesting!
 
CPW said:
Is there more information availble online at PF
https://www.physicsforums.com/search/3706040/?q=Oklo&o=date
 
I recall reading an article on this many years ago (1980s?). It was published in either Scientific American or Smithsonian magazine.
 

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