The measurement of Ra/Ra activity ratios in ground water as a uranium exploration technique

Measurements were made of the ²²⁶Ra/²²³Ra activity ratio in ground waters obtained from drill holes in the vicinity of uranium mineralization in northern Saskatchewan where certain hydrologic parameters, specifically ground-water velocity and direction, had been determined. The results show that it is possible to approximate the distance from a ground-water sampling point to the area of mineralization owing to differences in the half lives of the two radium nuclides.The theoretical basis for the determination of the distances is explained.