The model suggests that gold was deposited by fluids that circulated through the Earth's crust during a period of volcanic activity that occurred about 30 million years ago. The fluids were heated by the volcanic activity and dissolved gold and other metals from the surrounding rocks. As the fluids cooled, the metals were deposited in veins and fractures in the rocks.
The new model is based on a study of gold deposits in the Carlin Trend, a region of Nevada that is home to some of the world's largest gold mines. The study, which was conducted by geologists from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the U.S. Geological Survey, found that the gold deposits in the Carlin Trend were formed by fluids that circulated through the crust at temperatures of about 300 degrees Celsius. The fluids were also found to contain high levels of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
The new model for how gold deposits formed in Nevada could help geologists in their search for new deposits of the precious metal. By understanding the conditions under which gold is deposited, geologists can target areas that are more likely to contain gold deposits.
The study was published in the journal Economic Geology.
