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

[CPW]

TL;DR

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?

 

[anorlunda]

There is a Wikipedia article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_nuclear_fission_reactor

But it happened 1.7 billion years ago, so it was not a uranium mine back then.

 

[CPW]

"Studies have suggested this as a useful natural analogue for nuclear waste disposal." Very interesting!

 

[Keith_McClary]

Is there more information availble online at PF

https://www.physicsforums.com/search/3706040/?q=Oklo&o=date

 

[physicsnerd]

I recall reading an article on this many years ago (1980s?). It was published in either Scientific American or Smithsonian magazine.