Nuclear fission

[Ranku]

Is there any phenomenon in nature that resembles or is analogous to nuclear fission?

 

[mfb]

Yes: Nuclear fission is a natural process.

If you mean nuclear chain reactions, the answer is still also nuclear chain reactions.

 

[Ranku]

Yes: Nuclear fission is a natural process.

If you mean nuclear chain reactions, the answer is still also nuclear chain reactions.

We usually think of nuclear fission as man-made nuclear fission, which releases a great amount of energy. Could you give an example of commonly occurring natural nuclear fission?

That natural nuclear chain reactions occurred on Earth is indeed remarkable.

 

[mfb]

We usually think of nuclear fission as man-made nuclear fission, which releases a great amount of energy. Could you give an example of commonly occurring natural nuclear fission?

It's the same process. Uranium nuclei everywhere can fission spontaneously. A few other nuclei can do so as well but they are very rare in nature.
Nuclear reactors use chain reactions to get much higher rates of fission, enough for a power plant or whatever else the application is.

 

[DrJHBickel]

Do a Google search on the 'Oklo Phenomenon' in the Gabon Uranium mines.
If one goes back ~1.7 billion years the ratio of U235/U238 was high enough that when water ingress occurred, the deposit became a natural self-sustaining chain reaction.

 

[Ranku]

Do a Google search on the 'Oklo Phenomenon' in the Gabon Uranium mines.
If one goes back ~1.7 billion years the ratio of U235/U238 was high enough that when water ingress occurred, the deposit became a natural self-sustaining chain reaction.

Don't know whether to be amazed or amused at Nature's mischief!