This ancient process was able to use normal water as a moderator only because 2 billion years before the present, natural uranium was richer in the shorter-lived fissile isotope 235U (about 3%), than natural uranium available today (which is only 0.7%, and must be enriched to 3% to be usable in light-water reactors).
Este proceso puido empregar auga normal como moderador só porque hai dous mil millóns de anos o uranio natural era máis rico en isótopos 235U (sobre 3%), que o uranio natural dispoñible na actualidade (que é só do 0,7%, e debe ser enriquecido ata o 3% para poder empregalo en reactores de auga lixeira).