Relationship between micrometer to submicrometer surface roughness and topography variations of natural iron oxides and trace element concentrations

The surface area and roughness of natural iron oxide precipitations were quantified by 3D optical microscopy in order to get information about fluid-rock interface topography in high-permeability zones. Converged surface roughness data of microscale to submicroscale topography show the predominance of macroporous half-pores (> 500 nm) and the occurrence of smaller half-pores (<500 nm) that dominate the BET surface area of iron oxides. A relationship was found between the occurrence of macroporous surface structures (micrometer range) and the uranium content of iron oxide encrustations. Iron-normalized uranium concentrations of an X-ray amorphous iron oxide encrustation correlate linearly with maximum topography heights of 1 to 2 mu m on hand specimen subsamples. Our study shows the potential importance of micrometer- to submicrometer-size surface features, whose environmental impact is often ignored.