A groundbreaking study has revealed that earthquakes might significantly contribute to the formation of gold nuggets within quartz veins through a process called piezoelectricity. This discovery challenges the traditional understanding of how gold forms, offering new insights into the geological processes that create this precious metal.
Gold, long prized for its rarity and beauty, is typically found as nuggets embedded in quartz veins, a form of crystallized silicon dioxide. While the conventional explanation has been that gold precipitates from hot, water-rich fluids moving through cracks in the Earth’s crust, the new study suggests that seismic activity could play a crucial role.
The research, titled “Gold Nugget Formation from Earthquake-Induced Piezoelectricity in Quartz,” was recently published in Nature Geoscience. Dr. Chris Voisey, the lead author of the study, explained that while the standard theory of gold formation is widely accepted, it falls short of explaining the creation of large gold nuggets, particularly given the low concentration of gold in the fluids that flow through quartz veins.
“The stressed quartz not only electrochemically deposited gold onto its surface, but it also formed and accumulated gold nanoparticles,” said Professor Andy Tomkins, a co-author of the study from the Monash University School of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment. “Remarkably, the gold had a tendency to deposit on existing gold grains rather than forming new ones.”
Quartz, an electrical insulator, can generate an electric charge when stressed, a phenomenon known as piezoelectricity. This charge could attract gold particles in the surrounding fluid, leading to the formation of larger gold nuggets. Once gold begins to deposit on a grain, it becomes a focal point for further growth, effectively “plating” the gold grains with additional layers of gold.
“Our discovery provides a plausible explanation for the formation of large gold nuggets in quartz veins,” Dr. Voisey added.
This new understanding of gold nugget formation could have significant implications for how geologists study and locate gold deposits. The findings suggest that seismic activity and the resulting piezoelectric effects within quartz veins may be critical in generating the large gold nuggets that have been mined and valued for centuries.
The study not only sheds light on the geological processes behind one of the world’s most treasured materials but also opens up new avenues for research in mineral exploration and the understanding of seismic impacts on mineral deposits.