Geologists Say Quartz And Few Earthquakes Can Make A Giant Gold Nugget
NDTV
During seismic activity, the stress on quartz can generate piezoelectric voltages capable of drawing gold from these fluids.
Humanity's fascination with gold stretches back thousands of years. Gold mining is described in ancient Greek and Roman sources, and gold rushes – especially in the 19th century – played a powerful role in shaping the modern world.
The dense, yellow metal is often found in the veins of the rocky mineral quartz. This is because the two condense together from hot fluids underground as a result of changes in temperature, pressure and chemistry.
Geologists understand this process quite well, but large gold nuggets have been a bit of a mystery. Gold is only dissolved in natural fluids at around one part per million, so how does it concentrate into lumps that weigh tens or even hundreds of kilograms?
