How Gold Was Formed on Earth

Like all elements of atomic numbers larger than iron, gold is a supernova nucleosynthesis process is believed to occur by. The explosion of the space in which they later formed in our solar system and the Earth in the metal-containing dust (heavy elements like gold included) scattered. Because the Earth was molten when it was just, gold exists on Earth has been in almost all the major. Gold that currently most of the planet's crust mantle today and skirmishes during the late heavy bombardment was distributed on Earth.

On Earth, gold ore is found in Precambrian rock formation time. It often occurs as a native metal, usually silver solution (ie gold, silver alloy) Metal closely. Alloys are usually 8-10% of the silver content. Electrum elemental gold with more than 20% silver. Mother with electrum silver color runs from golden-silver, silver, depending on the content. More silver, low specific gravity.

Great Golden:

This 156-troy-ounce (4.9 kg) nugget, known as the Mojave Nugget
was found by an individual prospector in the Southern California Desert
using a metal detector.

Native gold occurs as very small microscopic particles embedded in rock are often called "Fool's Gold", which is pyrite, quartz or sulfide minerals such as with. These deposits, called plaque. Also free to ply their original state in the form of metals, grain or large tumor that has reduced the rocks and alluvial deposits PLACER is found in the form of deposits with the ending. Free gold is always richer at the surface as the gold-bearing veins [clarification needed] with weathering, and streams and rivers, where it collects and can be welding by water action to form a tumor, followed by washing minerals in the dust due to oxidation.

Light gold with tellurium minerals calaverite, krennerite, nagyagite, petzite and combined as sylvanite, and maldonite bismuthide (Au2Bi) rare and antimonide aurostibite (AuSb2) example. These minerals (Cu3Au) auricupride, novodneprite (AuPb3) and weishanite (3Hg2 (Au, Ag)): Gold and copper, lead, mercury and alloys with rarely seen.

Recent research suggests that microbes can sometimes gold deposit formation, transport and deposition of gold in alluvial deposits collected for grain and knot formed a vital role.

Gold has the world's oceans. Atlantic and Northeast Pacific as measured gold standard 50-150 fmol / L or quadrillion parts per 10-30 (10-30 g/km3 about) it. Generally, the Atlantic and Pacific samples for gold concentrations (~ 50 fmol / L) but less certain. Mediterranean Gold high concentrations (100-150 / fmol L) containing water, wind blown dust and / or rivers due. Quadrillion per 10 parts of the Earth's oceans can hold 15,000 tonnes of gold. The statistics reported for the intensity of the literature prior to 1988, previous data show that less than three orders of problems with contamination.

Source: Wikipedia