Monday, April 23, 2007

EarthLore and Gold in the AZ desert



People finding valuable minerals, such as Gold, are usually those who know that these are found around anomalies. They usually don't read much Geological Literature (not because they spurn such "erudite" treatises, but because the treasure is found not by theory, but by field work). A likely anomaly is that where the rocks tell you that the circumstance is not normal. This could be simply a mineralogical change, a geochemical, thermal, or geophysical abnormality. These are easily tracked in the field, such as in my field of study- a change of resistivity or conductivity (the reciprocals of each other), abnormal electrical potentials, or sudden changes of the fracture orientation in the outcropping rocks.
Above is a recent find in a desert wash, which has been rolled around a bit, and is therefore only a hint of Gold nearby. It was not predicted by any geologist, but was found by someone with a practiced eye. To find out more about this intrigue, refer to the websites for hikes in the SW shown on the right side of the BLOG. HLO

No comments: