Steve Herschbach question

[Cactus Jeff]

Hi Steve,

Have you and Chris Ralph ever discussed cross referencing mining districts, USGS reports, and known placers with recent earthquake epicenters in California & Nevada? One would think that gold could be pushed to the surface or overburden pushed off of bedrock in some places. I really enjoy your metal detector reviews and ICMJ articles.

Jeff

 

[steve herschbach]

No, it's not anything I have ever considered doing. Quakes shake a lot but you will be hard pressed to find places where they move the surface.

I am glad you enjoy the articles - thanks!

 

[Reno Chris]

Good question!
Gold deposits are often related to faults, but older ones, not ones related to modern earthquakes.
The Melones fault of the mother lode country of California is related to many of the mother lode gold deposits. It was the fault on which the California earthquakes happened many millions of years ago. However, millions of years ago the earth stopped moving on that fault, and the earth's movement shifted west 100+ miles to the site of the modern San Andreas fault. That's where the earthquakes happen and have for a long time.

So yes, faults and gold deposits are related, but the gold bearing ones are way old and don't have movement along them anymore.

Because of that, there really is not any correlation of modern recent earthquakes and gold deposits. There may be a correlation of earthquakes from long ago and modern deposits, or modern quakes and gold deposits of millions of years in the future, but it doesn't do much for us right now.

 

[D&P-OR]

n/t