Well attestedNamed from the place
francevillite
noun · first attested 1957
The basin it comes from ran natural nuclear fission reactors two billion years ago.
A hydrous barium uranyl vanadate.
-1.6333°S 13.5833°E · Q459369
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 1957
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Franceville
- In English
francevillite
Francevillite was described in 1957 from the Mounana uranium mine near Franceville in southeastern Gabon, which produced some of the finest crystals of the species. The same Franceville basin contains Oklo, where uranium ore went critical on its own about 1.7 billion years ago. The mineral has since been found in Katanga and in Zimbabwe.