The Gabon Natural Reactor, also known as the Oklo Reactor, represents a fascinating occurrence in the history of our planet, where natural conditions miraculously combined to create a functioning nuclear fission reactor without human intervention. Located in the Oklo region of Gabon, West Africa, this phenomenon dates back approximately 2 billion years. At that time, the concentration of U-235, a fissile isotope of uranium, in natural uranium deposits was about 3%, sufficient to sustain a nuclear chain reaction under the right conditions. These conditions were met when groundwater acted as a neutron moderator and induced a nuclear reaction in the rich uranium ore deposits. The reactor was active in cycles for hundreds of thousands of years, producing an estimated total of 15,000 gigawatt-years of energy. Discovered in 1972 by scientists studying uranium ore samples that had unusually low concentrations of U-235, the Oklo Reactor provides invaluable insights into nuclear physics, geology, and the conditions of the early Earth. It remains the only known naturally occurring nuclear reactor on Earth, highlighting a rare instance where natural processes mimicked those typically engineered by humans.
Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-nuclear-reactor/
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