History & Geology
Prospecting With The Help of Fluvial Geomorphology
March 2011 by Jim Halloran
Quiz yourself about the stream in figure 5. Based on your previous knowledge of where gold is found in a stream and in this article, where do you think you will find the most gold?
How Far Has That Gold Traveled?
Let’s examine why your placer gold looks the way it does and what you can tell about its journey based upon its appearance.
Copper Deposits of Alaska
Only the famous Kennecott copper mine was able to continue operating through the Depression owing to the exceptional richness of its ore.
Benches and Fossil Placers
Unfortunately for us mortal humans, we have a poor perspective on geologic time. When we look at a landscape such as a stream valley, we see it only in two, or at the most, three dimensions. We have poor comprehension of the valley’s fourth and most important dimension—time.
The Miner’s Switchback
Common thought is the switchback slows the velocity of the rushing water and gold drops out from the cut bank to a fill gravel bar within or below the switchback. I am not going to disregard that model; however, I hope to improve upon it.
Gold Circle (Midas) Gold District
Many prospectors thought that Nevada was all prospected out following all the rich discoveries of the 1860s and 1870s, and what was there to be found had already been found.
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.
What Are Those Rocks In My Pan?
The placer mineral identification key is designed to answer this question. It attempts to recognize all the minerals in your gold pan concentrates.
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• Rediscovering Placerville, California Part II
• Oregon Anti-Dredging Bill
• Mud Men: Pocket Miners of Southwest Oregon Part II
• The Gold of Plumas de Oro
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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