History & Geology
Researching Mineralized Areas
December 2015 by Chris Ralph
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.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.
The Giant King Mine
Most gold-bearing veins in this region are controlled by fractures associated with the Melones Fault, a late Cretaceous structure that is 108 to 127 million years old.
Ask The Experts
Sulfides and oxides—what's the difference between the two?
Ask The Experts
Q: Is there a correlation between fault zones and mineralization of economic metals?
Heavy Sands Mining
Lately my mind has been involved with group 4 of the transition elements, namely titanium, zirconium, and hafnium. They all have similar chemical properties. Of greatest interest to economic geologists and miners is that these valuable elements often occur together in sands.
The Tombstone Silver-Lead District, Arizona
In 1877, a prospector named Ed Schieffelin discovered silver in “the middle of nowhere” and staked two claims: “Tumbstone” and “Graveyard.” Soon a town and mining district were organized and acquired the name “Tombstone” after making a spelling correction.
"Gold Rush: Alaska" in the Porcupine Mining District
Honestly, I don’t believe it is likely there would be a glory hole where they described one at the bottom of the waterfall because plunging water with enough energy to scour out a large hole in bedrock would have the scouring ability to grind up and...
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