Stratigraphic Gold Deposit Found in the Great Basin of Nevada

Nevada is known for striking it rich in casinos and other gambling endeavors, but what many people do not know is that there is gold in them thar’ hills. The great basin of Nevada is one of the world’s greatest resources of stratigraphic gold deposits in the world. Almost 11% of the total world production of gold and gold deposits comes from this region. 

The importance of the stratigraphic gold deposit in the great basin area has a profound impact on our nation's economy and is the backbone of our world trade programs.  The importance of this deposit is so ingrained in the economic success of our country that only state-of-the-art machinery and mining techniques are used to pull the gold from the ground. 

No longer are precious metals simply bulldozed or chopped out of the ground by shovel, picks, or axes.  Delicate machinery gently pulls the gold from the earth and leaves little or no trace of environmental damage or ecological disarray.

The United States geological survey has become an active participant in the mining operations of the great basin.  They have coupled their successes and powers with the world of academia to produce top-of-the-line mining methods and also provide the groundwork for research and development in the future. 

The Nevada Bureau of mines and geology has also joined in with the mining industry and the United States geological survey.  Together some of the greatest minds and methods have been brought together to protect this viable United States resource.

The great basin project focused on questions about the environmental and ecological impact of gold mining and silver mining in the area.  There is a world-class sedimentary rock that contains gold and silver composites found along the Carlin trend. In the great basin there are also sedimentary exhalative deposits that are mined locally and have unique qualities and sulfurous concentration due to their procurement from sulfurous hydrothermal systems. 

These elaborate mining areas have posed some serious technological questions when it comes to mining methods and different environments.  The accumulation of the academic and governmental forces seeks to answer these questions to check the integrity of the gold deposits and at the same time protect the integrity of the desert that is around them.

The main objective of this endeavor is to find out the source in the evolutionary paths of hydrothermal fluids.  This is essential in improving the descriptive and genetic models of the great basin type deposits that are site-specific to stratigraphic gold deposits.  Reconnaissance studies, mapping, and GPS location maps are being created to get the men and materials quickly to the sites and at the same time be able to protect the environment around the sites.

Many other disciplines are combining forces to tackle global problems and the mining industry is leading the field in creating these types of partnerships.