Earthquakes turn quartz into gold: science

Future earthquake goldmine? Mexican mine reveals cavern of colossal crystals

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Ajahn Jumnien near golden Buddha

(LiveScience) Scientists have discovered exactly how earthquakes trigger quartz into forming large gold nuggets — finally solving a mystery that's puzzled researchers for decades.

Gold naturally forms in quartz — the second-most abundant mineral in Earth's crust after feldspar. But unlike other types of gold deposits, those found in quartz often cluster into giant nuggets.

Best use, hidden bank bricks or public Buddhas?

These nuggets float in the middle of what geologists call quartz veins, which are cracks in quartz-rich rocks that periodically get pumped full of hydrothermal fluids from deep within the crust.

• Electricity generated by earthquakes might be the secret behind giant gold nuggets

How to make gold: quartz+pressure+electricity

Gods are gonna want more gold

"Gold forms in quartz all the time," said Chris Voisey, a geologist at Monash University in Australia and the lead author of a new study published Monday (Sept. 2) in the journal Nature Geoscience.

"The thing that's weird is really, really large gold nugget formation. We didn't know how that worked — how you get a large volume of gold to mineralize in one discreet little place," Voisey told Live Science. More:

• Earthquakes can trigger quartz into forming giant gold nuggets, study finds (LiveScience)
• What world's largest rock engravings may mean (Newsweek)
• Nature Geoscience journal report by LiveScience.com via msn.com, 9/2/24; Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly