This is an ancient method of using water to excavate, transport, concentrate, and recover heavy minerals from alluvial or placer deposits.
Examples of deposits mined by means of this technique are the gold-bearing sands and gravel that settle out from rapidly moving streams and rivers at points where the current slows down. Placer mining takes advantage of gold’s high density, which causes it to sink more rapidly from moving water than the lighter siliceous materials with which it is found. Though the basic principles of placer mining have not altered since early times, methods have improved considerably (William Andrew Hustrulid, 2025).
Placer mining harnesses these natural forces to recover treasures from sand and gravel! What natural process in geology or nature do you find most fascinating for its role in resource formation? Let’s discuss!
