History & Geology
Greenstone and Gold
September 2013 by Chris Ralph
Contacts, faults and zones of weak rock are all places that can act as a pipeline to convey gold-bearing fluids, leading to valuable deposits.
Researching Mineralized Areas
There are a load of ways to do research, and I’m going to talk about how I do it—maybe you’ll get some ideas that will work for you, too.
Alluvial Paystreaks
The gravels in contact with the bedrock or false bedrock base are often the richest. The same facts apply to the alluvial paystreaks that are formed on gravel bars; the lowest level of the gold-bearing gravel is normally the richest.
How to Recognize Hard Rock Gold Ores
I regularly get inquiries along the line of: “Hey, I found this rock, and I think it might be gold ore. How can I tell?” Prospectors are always on the lookout for gold-bearing rocks that may be the source of any nearby placer gold.
Gold in Tertiary Gravels
In some places, semi-continuous sections of riverbed can easily be linked in many places to identify the path of the ancient rivers.
Mohave County, Arizona: The Oatman/San Francisco Mining District
The Oatman/San Francisco Mining District’s historic gold production of 2.2 million ounces of gold since the 1880s makes this area Arizona’s greatest primary gold producing district.
Electrum: Gold and Silver Together
...if you are out prospecting and find something that looks very much like a nugget but has an odd greenish-gray cast to it, don’t be too quick to simply toss it aside as junk.
Sierra County Gold—Part II
...we will continue our examination of the rich streams and mining districts, and then take a look at some of the big nuggets that have been found here.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• The Long Road to Gold Point, Nevada
• What, Where and How for the New Prospector
• Proper Spacing of Placer Sample Sites
• Hunches, Choices and Guesses
• 12-Year-Old Unearths Large Diamond
• Time for a New Approach: Detecting Float Gold
• Carissa Gold Mine Comes Back to Life
• Gold in Beatty, Nevada
• Cripple Creek Gold Mine Exceeding Expectations
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Silver Bull Resources Sees Bright Future for Silver & Zinc
• Twenty Minutes on a Five-inch Dredge
