Vast Uranium Reserves Found in China Using Technology That Can Examine Depths Up to Almost 10,000 Feet

China's nuclear officials identified abundant uranium resources at shallow levels below the surface.

The discovery, hailed as a game-changer for the country's national security, may also alter the scientific community's understanding of uranium creation, opening new avenues for uranium detection worldwide.

China Finds Massive Amount of Uranium

According to South China Morning Post, massive volumes of industrial-grade deposits have been discovered at depths previously considered unattainable, increasing China's projected total uranium resource by tenfold to more than two million tonnes.

If true, China would be on par with Australia, one of the world's highest uranium reserves.

The researchers made the finding using cutting-edge technology and equipment to examine depths up to 3,000 meters or almost 10,000 feet. That is six times deeper than most of China's uranium mines.

"This world-leading project is a major breakthrough for our country," said the China National Nuclear Corporation on its WeChat social media account (per Myanmar's news site The Star).

The newly found deposits will aid China in meeting rising nuclear power demand as the country transitions to nuclear fission for its energy needs to reduce carbon emissions. Uranium is, of course, used to create weapons, and the new resources are expected to aid the country's nuclear arsenal. They could, however, use part of it to fuel a DeLorean time machine to go back and forth in time.

About The Discovery

According to Li Ziying, head of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, the discovery defies assumptions about uranium deposit development.

Uranium is assumed to be concentrated primarily in shallow, geophysically stable locations. However, some of China's most significant deposits have been discovered deeper than 4,920 feet (1,500 meters) below the surface. Large tectonic movements have occurred in the areas where they were discovered, contradicting long-held ideas that uranium formation is impossible.

According to Li and his colleagues (per Wonderful Engineering), Tectonic collisions may cause uranium to rise from the mantle and become trapped in microscopic "hotspots" hundreds of meters under the Earth's surface.

The researchers employed an ultra-sensitive airborne remote sensor to detect minuscule quantities of heat created by uranium underneath. They employed drilling equipment with a specially designed bore head to acquire tiny samples from the "impossible" depths when the sensor detected something. Finally, they improved the pace of their data processing by employing artificial intelligence.

The innovative technology might be used all around the world to assist other countries in discovering buried uranium reserves. Nuclear power has witnessed a renaissance in recent years, fuelled by the world's desire to transition away from fossil fuel production. It was formerly criticized owing to the problem of radioactive waste and the possibility of catastrophic disasters.

How This Chemical Is Used

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Uranium "enriched" into U-235 concentrations may be used to fuel nuclear power plants and naval ships and submarines' nuclear reactors. It may also be used to make nuclear bombs.

Depleted uranium (U-235-rich chemical) can be used as radiation shielding or projectiles in armor-piercing weaponry.

U-235 and U-238 are found in practically every rock, soil, and body of water. The most prevalent form in the environment is U-238. In a process known as "enrichment," U-235 may be concentrated, making it acceptable in nuclear reactors or weapons.

Uranium is a big metal band. Small pellets of enriched uranium can be put in the long tubes used in nuclear reactors.

Since uranium decays through alpha particles, external uranium exposure is less harmful than exposure to other radioactive elements because the skin blocks the alpha particles. On the other hand, ingesting a significant amount of uranium can have serious health consequences, such as bone or liver cancer.

Lung cancer can be caused by inhaling high quantities of uranium due to alpha particle exposure. Uranium is also a hazardous chemical, which means that uranium consumption may induce kidney damage due to its chemical qualities far sooner than it can cause tumors of the bone or liver due to its radioactive capabilities.

Check out more news and information on Nuclear Fusion in Science Times.