Gold Ore Identification

Thousands of years ago, the people of the first sub-Saharan Nubian kingdom were extracting gold from within gold ore rocks at a processing center along the Nile river. Solid gold nuggets are rare, but you don’t need to find solid nuggets to identify and stake a claim on gold. Despite the rarity of gold nuggets, valuable deposits gold ore exist in the veins and crevices of common looking rocks.

Considerations

Since gold is one of the six platinum-group noble metals, it resists mixing with non-metallic elements. This feature makes gold visible within certain forms of gold ore. Its resistance to mixing also makes extraction from its surrounding material possible.

Common Locations

Mining and identification of gold ore occurs in Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota and Utah. Contributors to the world’s processing of gold ore include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Peru, South Africa and Russia.

Deposits

Two types of gold ore deposits contain gold. They are known as lode and placer deposits. Lode deposits are a prospector's dream because they contain nearly pure gold. These large ore bodies of shimmering gold appear surrounded by metamorphic rock in mountainous regions. Placer deposits form when lode deposits gain exposure to the Earth’s surface. Water transports the exposed gold ore and it later cements into host rocks. Consequently, you can identify gold in the sedimentary rocks near ancient river channels.

Methodology

Three D technology and remote sensing procedures accelerate the process of identifying gold ore lode and placer deposits. Optical and radar data expedite the prospecting process by helping prospectors anticipate which spots may contain substantial quantities of gold ore. The resulting structural maps from this preparation contain topographic data on fault structures and patterns. When image analysis combines with knowledge of the tectonic process, a powerful means of identifying the location of gold ore emerges.

Expert Insight

The RDIF Journal, a radio frequency identification publication, reports that South African gold miners employ a radio frequency tracking system as a means of identifying millions of gold ounces from within tons of ore. The system prevents processing gold as waste or waste as gold. Identifying gold ore with radio frequency technology prevents costly mistakes during gold processing.

References

• University of Chicago: Archaeologists Discover Gold Processing Center
• U.S. Geological Survey: Mineral Commodity Profiles—Gold
• Emporia State University: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gold
• Utah State University: Integrated Use of Remote Sensing and GIS for Mineral Exploration
• RDIF Journal: RFID Helps Miners Strike Gold