Devices for gold exploration: The origins of the gold (geology)

Devices for gold exploration: The origins of the gold (geology): Gold is everywhere on the globe, both on land and in the oceans. But it is scattered in such small quantities that it is difficult to re...

The origins of the gold (geology)

Gold is everywhere on the globe, both on land and in the oceans. But it is scattered in such small quantities that it is difficult to recover. It is a rarity that is, in part, its value. Most often this metal is disseminated in terrestrial rocks.

A mountain formation gold is mounted steam with heavy minerals (carbon) and crystallized in veins and fissures in the rock. Very often we find gold in combination with another mineral: quartz (or quartz vein). In fact, this yellow element fits into the silica solutions which, come late, fill cracks or flaws in some rock formations.
erosion allows gold to detach from the rock and move in gold rivers

Erosion is a natural work then wear rocks. Freed from the "rock", gold found at the beginning of transportation in land, on the slopes of mountains, are the eluvial rocks. The river becomes collecting and separating gold. Thus driven, gold, heavier than other materials will be deposited in the sediments at specific locations called "place". Gold and released from its rock matrix is ​​easy to get to the miners by traditional methods (pan, Pan American, Finnish dish, sluice, etc..).

In the native state, the metal is never 100% pure but always in combination with other metals such as silver or copper, metals that can change its characteristic yellow color. Besides an old adage miner said that "if you have something you're not sure whether it is gold, well that is not gold." Indeed, pyrite, known as "fool's gold" because of its color, is totally different from that of gold. However, we must pay attention to the chemical combinations of metals with gold: 85% gold 15% silver gives a white alloy. The gold we find in the river as generally 90% to 95% pure gold.