Scientists from the University of Queensland (Australia) have recently published a study demonstrating that gold is generated through water and earthquakes.
This research was published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Dion Weatherley, a geophysicist at the University of Queensland and the lead author of the study, revealed: “Earthquakes cause geological fractures, creating numerous voids. Water quickly fills these cavities. What is particularly interesting occurs about 10 kilometers underground, where the pressure and temperature are extremely high.”
“Such environmental conditions, combined with water carrying high concentrations of carbon dioxide, silica, and other essential substances, facilitate the formation of gold. Subsequently, aftershocks or other earthquakes can cause these voids to expand, leading to a rapid drop in pressure. Water then rapidly evaporates, and any gold particles present in the liquid precipitate almost immediately.”
Gold – Humanity’s Everlasting Demand.
The tectonic processes in the Earth’s crust lead to repeated earthquakes that help form gold sediment layers (golden sand deposits). Scientists indicate that the gold found around the world originates from sedimentary veins formed during the mountain-building geological period that occurred 3 billion years ago.
To address the question of gold’s origins, how does gold transform from a molten state to a solid form that can be mined? Scientists have simulated the depressurization process in fluid-filled cracks during an earthquake.
Through this method, they have found the answer. Gold, which is molten from within the Earth, has been pushed upward due to the movement of the Earth’s crust. Gold appears in nugget form as accompanying minerals are oxidized by weathering, washing dust into streams and rivers where gold accumulates, or due to the activity of water binding together.
The research from Australian geologists also indicates that a single seismic event will not produce economically valuable gold. To form a vein containing 100 tons of gold would take approximately 100,000 years.
Discovering the mechanism of gold formation will aid humanity in the search for and exploration of new gold deposits in the future. It is estimated that the total gold reserves worldwide amount to 250,000 tons. To date, humanity has extracted about 150,000 tons of gold from the Earth. With an average annual extraction rate of 2,300 tons, gold reserves are expected to be depleted by 2050.
In Vietnam, gold ore is scattered across various locations on a small scale, with total known resources estimated at several thousand tons and reserves only reaching a few hundred tons. Almost 500 gold ore and primary gold mine sites (true gold ore and other types of ore that contain gold) have been discovered so far. Among these, nearly 30 sites have been explored and assessed for reserves, amounting to around 300 tons of gold.
Gold is the chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79 in the periodic table. It is a soft, malleable, ductile transition metal that is golden-yellow in color and luster. Gold does not react with most chemicals but can be affected by aqua regia to form chloroauric acid, as well as being influenced by cyanide solutions of alkali metals. This metal occurs in the form of ore or grains in rocks and in alluvial deposits and is one of the metals used for minting coins. Gold is a metallic element that appears golden when solid, while pure 100% gold powder can appear black, ruby, or purple when finely ground. It is the most malleable metal known. Gold has good thermal and electrical conductivity, is unaffected by air and most chemicals (only silver and copper are better conductors), and is resistant to chemical reactions caused by heat, humidity, oxygen, and most corrosive substances. Therefore, it is well-suited for creating metallic coins and jewelry. |
