subject: The Formation Of Gold [print this page] Gold has always been one of the most precious metals in the world, being used for coins, jewelry and more recently for medical and industrial purposes. Financial advisers say it is also a very good investment, because it is not affected by economical or currency crises.
Scientists have always been interested in the origin of this metal. After many years of studies, they have concluded that, being a simple chemical element, it must have been formed at the same time as the Universe, as a result of stars colliding or exploding as supernovas. Since then, is has been part of Earth's structure and can be found as nuggets or grains in rocks, veins or alluvial deposits. Thus, the issue doesn't concern the provenience of gold as an element as much as the origin of gold deposits.
One explanation given by specialists is that they were formed by underground waters that circulated under the influence of hot magma and pierced the earth shell up to 2 to 5 miles from the surface. Being very high in temperature itself, the liquid dismantled and dissolved particles of rock which, as they chilled, precipitated to form gold veins.
The magma theory also attempts to explain the origin of metal deposits, suggesting that the particles come from volcanic magma that cools down when it reaches low temperature areas. This clarifies why we are able to find gold in granites, which are composed of solidified magma.
The third explanation for this phenomenon is that, at the time when mountains were formed, sedimentary and volcanic rocks were buried deep under the edge of the continents, where they were submitted to extreme pressures and temperatures. This made them undergo chemical transformations; when the temperature and pressure went back to normal, the rocks eliminated mineral-filled water. The particles found in this water later associated to form gold ore.
However they may have been created, gold deposits are very important today because they allow us to extract and exploit this useful metal, without which the quality of life would certainly not be the same. The only thing that remains is for us to preserve the planet's gold resources, so we can keep using them for many years to come.
