History & Geology
Our Readers Say
August 1999 by Staff
• "...just about more than I can stand."• "I hope you can answer my number one question..."
• "...I still go out and mine a little at my old stompin' grounds in Siskiyou County..."
• "...New Prospecting Club in the Southeast."
• "...9 ounces...in two weeks."
• "...It's no secret..."
The Birimian Greenstone Belts of West Africa
A few years ago I had a tremendous opportunity to visit Australia and hunt for gold there. The geology of the gold deposits there was somewhat different from what I was used to here in the US. I learned a lot about greenstone belt gold deposits while prospecting them in person, and it was an amazing trip.
Butte, Montana—The Richest Hill on Earth
I recently had the opportunity to spend a day exploring around Butte, Montana and was amazed by the amount of mining that has taken place there. The old-timers called Butte “the richest hill on earth” and had pretty good reasons for doing so.
The Amazing Mineral Tourmaline
It is a gemstone, and yet it is also closely associated with many types of metal ores. It's valuable itself but often points toward other valuable minerals—that is certainly something prospectors want to know more about!
Know Your District
We have to remember that the earliest miners were not geologists, but came from a variety of backgrounds. Their survival depended on finding enough gold so they worked hard and adapted to whatever challenges these new areas presented.
Greenstone and Gold
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.
Ask The Experts
Q: Is this gold or some other metal?
Refractory Gold Processing
After your excitement peaks when you first receive the high gold assay from the vein you just exposed, you ponder how you will extract and sell your gold. You will need to develop a flow sheet for your process to optimize your recovery and minimize your costs and permit requirements.
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The Bawl Mill
• New Oregon Mining Legislation Friendly to Small Miner
• Cutbacks at S. African Mines—Britain Blamed
• BLM Reports That 'Mining' Brings Most Public Reward
• Long-Term Camping Plan at Fortymile Proposed by BLM
• "No Gold Sales" Says Nevada Senator
• Panel Cuts Park Monies, Eases Mining Restrictions
• State May Re-Examine Plans on Dredge Use Near Hope
• Company Notes
• Jim Butler's Political Career
• Picks & Pans: Gold Recovery in Placer Mining Operations
• Nevada Looks to Tourism to Fill Mining's Gap
• PGMs in the United States
• Miners Claim Victory in Fight That Began with Protest
• U.S. Admits Botching Indian Funds Accounts
• Gold Fever
• Roads Protecting Grizzlies Reopen
• Guanajuato Silver, Mexico
• Roosevelt: From Boom Town to Mountain Lake
• Dollar Must Slip for Gold to Rise
• Looking Back
• 1999 National Mining Hall of Fame Inductees
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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