Finding Old rivers and Gold deposits
Were going to touch a topic which a lot of people have difficulty understanding. Placer gold deposition. In New Brunswick we have very few known placer gold deposits. However I'm going to show you certain features you can use to find possible gold bearing zones on Google maps or Google earth. Essentially during thousands of years of geological processes our present day streams and rivers have changed course, leaving behind the possibility of Placer and Paleoplacer gold deposits. Erosion and uplift can create hillside deposits known as bench deposits which can prove to be valuable placer gold deposits. The example I'm going to provide below will show you the features which indicate old river channels and which ground would possibly hold placer gold for you to explore.
As you can see in the image above erosion and uplift have left an old channel on the hillside which is favorable for gold deposition. You can see in the bottom of the picture how current day river flow is eroding further to the left, leaving a highbench and flood plain, ideal for gold deposition on the right. Keep in mind with water systems you will almost always have deposition of placer gold and heavy minerals on the inside of a corner, while your erosion takes place on the outside of the bend.
Although this location is a prime spot for locating placer gold in New Brunswick, It is currently off limits to the public. Study your maps and identify similar features to discover placer gold deposits in your prospecting future!
Until Next time.
