Ground Conditions for gold

Hello

I'm away having some inexperienced fun, and hope someone can help with this question.

Ive found an area where there's a bit of stained quartz laying around, and when I dig up rubbish, I see a mixture of rocks and nice dirt.

I'm wondering if the ground is too deep?

I'm not sure if bare earth is always jam packed rock solid (similar to a concrete slab), or If ts sometimes a loose mixture of dirt and rocks?

I'm also making the assumption that if I'm finding rubbish, that's above bare earth, and there's no gold in top soil.

I found a nail, kept digging to about 12 inches (still what I call rocks and nice dirt), buried the nail, and it's too deep for a signal.... Yes, I recovered the nail, it's in the bum bag.

Does it sound like the grounds too deep, or is bare earth sometimes like this?

I appreciate you can't see what I'm asking, but your ideas would be helpful.

If it means driving a k up the road, so be it, but I'd like a chance at it.

Thank you
Rob

Hi Dave

Thanks. I'm somewhere between paynes find and mount maganet.

Looking at TenGraph, I make the assumption I'm ballpark, unless ground conditions can change quickly.

Is gold baring earth always hard and compacted?

G'day Rob

Research is the key here. Research in way of locating an area known for its shallow nuggety gold workings (within reach & detectable by a hand held metal detector).
Quartz loads can be found on many a hill top/side, but not all quartz reefs/loads carry gold, actually few are the ones that do or have done. This is why it pays to invest in some type of gold maps detailing designated nuggety gold bearing areas or localities of the past, of where you intend on searching in or over.
Like Dave says, it is in & around old known gold localities, that will give you a better understanding of how the old timers went about locating gold by the type/size of surfacing's/mullock heaps they left behind.
Gold bearing earth, is not always found to be in hard/compacted earth, for I've found gold within soft, loose gold bearing conglomerate ironstone/quartz wash layers & or in soft sections of decomposing slate (where on can sink a pick in), but on saying this, a majority of gold found in its natural state (less mixed within quartz/ironstone) is mostly found imbedded or sitting in the much more harder compact clays, hard compact conglomerate gold bearing wash layers, or within calcrete.

Cheers Kon.

Thanks Kon

This trip was on then fly, so did very basic research.

Thanks again

Worn and stained quartz can indicate decomposing conglomerate. One of my favourite hunting scenarios.

As much as I think most videos of gold being dug up are not worth watching, at least you can see the ground type and different layer changes. Have a look at some that match your general view of the top soil where you are detecting and that will give you some insight of the nature of the ground. By the way there is a lot of advice by others that will help you at this stage of prospecting.

Rob wrote:Hi Dave

Thanks.  I'm somewhere between paynes find and mount maganet.

Looking at TenGraph, I make the assumption I'm ballpark, unless ground conditions can change quickly.

Is gold baring earth always hard and compacted?

Hard and compacted ground is great if your detector tells you there's a target down there.
Detect at Paynes Find and Mt Magnet not necessarily in between. Stay close to known gold deposits.
Make sure you're not on an active lease or you'll end up in court...

Thank you

Yes. TenGraph tells me I'm safe.

Thank you

I do agree with a lot of the comments but I have had many times I would not find gold until I was almost three feet down so never give up until you hit bedrock

Hi Daddy

Being inexperienced and unfamiliar with the machine, I wasn't sure if the machine was punching through the depth of the top soil/sand, and making it to bare earth?

I'll be going back out mid June, and will be doing a 5 hour course with a detector shop about how to identify good ground. It won't make me an expert, but it should get me off to a good start.

Thank you
Rob

You are very welcome if you need any more help or advice don't hesitate to ask I am always happy to help

Hi Rob, if you are going back to those same areas it might be worth camping in either My Magnet or Cue caravan parks for a few days.
Always a good way to meet others doing the same as you, and may pick up a few tips.
Cheer's
Greg

Hi Greg

I did consider camp/caravan area behind the Paynes find roadhouse, so would be open to those as well.

I'll be away 5 days next trip, so will need to do a bit of research on the best area for a chance before I go.

Thank you

To get a head start, think about tuition, and then make sure that the person who is offering such services actually have the figures on the board. I am astounded by the number of people that pass themselves off as experts that have found sod all, when you do the checking. The number of fakes is amazing.

Hi Reg

Your probably right about the fakes.

The short course I'll be attending is held by a prospecting shop which smaller shops referred me to for hire, so I assume they have industry credibility.

The bloke was confident in saying that during the 5 hour session, he'll deliver the information needed to know when I'm standing on ground more suitable for gold.

He well and truly cut through my BS detector, so am confident I'll come out the other end better off.

Hopes are high for the next trip. If no gold, the dark night sky will be a good compensation.

Have a good night

Rob,
No dark night skies (unless it's overcast) on the WA goldfields, just a sea of beautiful stars twinkling down at you. Bliss
Don't focus on the "how deep" hype, majority of gold bearing WA ground for we detectorists is only about 300mm to bedrock. (there are exceptions of course)
You haven't mentioned what detector you're using?
If it is one of the top brands you can guarantee there will be gold left behind on and around old surface mining/scrapes & dryblowings.
Ground that always stops me in my tracks is protruding granite outcrops surrounded by the usual red dirt impregnated with broken quartz, iron stone.
We have gone back to flogged areas with our SDC & GPZ and have been amazed that so much small gold has been left behind. Some will say that they are not interested in "tiddlers" but when 80+ bits add up to 40+grams who's complaining?
Dry creeks running through the old workings are usually a winner. Yes, many digs for junk but sure gets the heart pacing when out pops a multiple grammer.

Good luck out there.

Hi Mate

Yes, I forgot how amazing the unpolluted night sky is. I can't wait for next trip.

I hired a GPX5000 and will hire a GPX7000 next time, simply because the shop tells me once the dials are set, all I need to do is swing and dig.

Thanks. I'll keep 300mm in mind. I was thinking that was too deep. Knowing that opens up a lot of ground.

I think I'll have a better idea after doing this short course.

I'm open to multiple small finds.. Any 1st is a 1st.

Thank you

Nightjar wrote:Rob,
No dark night skies (unless it's overcast) on the WA goldfields, just a sea of beautiful stars twinkling down at you.   Bliss
Don't focus on the "how deep" hype, majority of gold bearing WA ground for we detectorists is only about 300mm to bedrock. (there are exceptions of course)
You haven't mentioned what detector you're using?
If it is one of the top brands you can guarantee there will be gold left behind on and around old surface mining/scrapes & dryblowings.
Ground that always stops me in my tracks is protruding granite outcrops surrounded by the usual red dirt impregnated with broken quartz, iron stone.
We have gone back to flogged areas with our SDC & GPZ and have been amazed that so much small gold has been left behind. Some will say that they are not interested in "tiddlers" but when 80+ bits add up to 40+grams who's complaining?  
Dry creeks running through the old workings are usually a winner. Yes, many digs for junk but sure gets the heart pacing when out pops a multiple grammer.

Good luck out there.


 

Take the advice given above as the best you can get in most WA gold towns. The photo below is a 5½ Oz nugget laying in the sun and his mate 1+ Oz near by. There is a lot of gold less than a foot deep. 400 small nugget in the next photo about 6 Oz

Rob wrote:Hi Mate



I hired a GPX5000 and will hire a GPX7000 next time, simply because the shop tells me once the dials are set, all I need to do is swing and dig.

Thank you

You have to know how to tweak the settings yourself, if you move to new ground it have to start all over again.


Good luck.