Sascha is a U.K.-based trainee staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe.
Scientists have discovered exactly how earthquakes trigger quartz into forming large gold nuggets — finally solving a mystery that's puzzled researchers for decades.
Hydrothermal fluids carry gold atoms up from the deep and flush them through quartz veins, meaning gold should theoretically become evenly spread in the cracks rather than concentrated into nuggets, Voisey said. These nuggets are exceptionally valuable and represent up to 75% of all the gold ever mined, according to the study.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Gold concentrates in specific spots because"gold dissolved in solution will preferentially deposit onto pre-existing gold grains," Voisey said."Gold is essentially acting as an electrode for further reactions by adopting the voltage generated by the nearby quartz crystals.
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