Genesis of Rabbit Lake and other unconformity-type uranium deposits in northern Saskatchewan, Canada

A description is given of the geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Rabbit Lake deposit, located in the immediate vicinity of the unconformity between an Aphebian/Archean metamorphosed basement and overlying unmetamorphosed sandstones of the Helikian Athabasca Formation. In the deposit several stages of alteration, mineralization, remobilization, and redeposition, separated by intermittent brecciation, are recognized. In the history of the deposit conditions have repeatedly oscillated between oxidizing and reducing, and the temporal relationships between oxidizing, reducing, and mineralizing episodes indicate the importance of redox reactions in shaping the deposit. 72 refs