Study reveals the presence of huge gold blocks underground as a result of electrical earthquakes

Tiny nuggets of gold have long been a source of fascination for treasure hunters and geologists alike, as they are often found shining within quartz veins deep within the Earth. However, the precise process behind the formation of these deposits – especially the larger nuggets – has long puzzled scientists.

However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests an interesting alternative mechanism: piezoelectricity. This property of quartz, famous for powering quartz watches, allows it to generate an electric charge when subjected to mechanical stress.

“The standard explanation is that gold precipitates from hot, water-rich fluids as they flow through cracks in the Earth’s crust,” Chris Voysey, lead author of the new study, said in a statement. “While this theory is widely accepted, it does not fully explain the formation of large gold masses, especially given that the concentration of gold in these fluids is very low.”

Piezoelectricity is when a material generates an electrical potential in response to pressure.

Instead of a small mechanical stress in a clock, the team turned to one of nature's most powerful forces – earthquakes – to explain how this phenomenon works underground.

A close-up of a large gold nugget. Gold, which is often found in large quantities in underground quartz deposits, may be collected by earthquakes that generate electricity in the rock. A close-up of a large gold nugget. Gold, which is often found in large quantities in underground quartz deposits, may be collected by earthquakes that generate electricity in the rock. bodnarchuk/Getty

“By distorting the quartz crystal lattice, you shift the charge centers, which creates a voltage across the crystal. If that voltage is large enough, an electron from the quartz crystal can be donated to gold-bearing molecules dissolved in the solution, causing the gold to be reduced and precipitated,” Voysey told Newsweek.

To test their hypotheses, the research team conducted experiments that simulated the conditions quartz might experience during an earthquake.

They immersed quartz crystals in a gold-rich liquid and applied pressure to simulate seismic activity. They then examined the quartz samples to see if the gold had precipitated out.

“The results were amazing,” said Andy Tomkins, one of the study’s co-authors. “Not only did the stressed quartz electrochemically deposit gold on its surface, it also formed and accumulated gold nanoparticles.”

“Surprisingly, the gold had a tendency to precipitate onto existing gold grains rather than forming new ones.”

This process occurs because quartz is an electrical insulator, while gold is a conductor. Once some gold begins to deposit on the quartz during seismic activity, it acts as a focal point, attracting more gold from the surrounding fluid and coating the existing grains with additional layers.

“Our discovery provides a plausible explanation for the formation of large gold nuggets in quartz veins,” Voisy said. “Essentially, quartz acts as a natural battery, with the gold acting as an electrode that slowly accumulates more gold with each seismic event.”

(Left): Scanning electron microscope image of gold deposited on quartz via piezoelectric interactions during experiments. The doping is a magnified image revealing that the texture of the gold grains consists of multiple gold nanoparticles bonded together. (Right): Energy dispersive spectral map of the sample. Highlighting the chemical composition of the sample area. More from Chris Voysey

But how long might this process take in nature? “It’s a question of ‘How long is a piece of string?’” says Voysey.

“It is believed that orogenic gold deposits are formed by the accumulation of thousands of seismic events. Some people think that orogenic gold deposits can be formed over thousands of years, while others think that they can be formed over millions of years. The amount of variables that go into geological systems makes it difficult to say for sure.”

As for the potential for new deposits, the results won’t directly help exploration. “Our results can’t tell you where to drill,” Voysey admits.

However, similar techniques have been used to detect quartz in the past. These methods include connecting polarization circuits to the ground and using a vibrating truck to generate artificial seismic waves.

“The result of this technique is that if the quartz veins are deep, you can detect the electrical signal that the piezoelectricity generates in the quartz,” he added. “So this can tell you where the quartz veins are – but it doesn’t tell you whether there is gold in those quartz veins.”

Do you have a science story tip that Newsweek should cover? Have a question about the composition of gold? Let us know at [email protected].

References

Voisey, CR, Hunter, NJR, Tomkins, AG, Brugger, J., Liu, W., Liu, Y., & Luzin, V. (2024). Gold nugget formation from earthquake-induced piezoelectricity in quartz. Nature Geoscience, 17(8).

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