The Best Encouragement for Amateur Geologists: Gold
Monday July 13, 2009
The New York Times reports on the luck of two Swedish women who have combed the countryside around their little village, rock hammers and magnifiers in hand, for years. In 2007 they visited a newly logged bedrock exposure and found rock with visible gold. What would you do next? Well, first they called a government geologist to confirm the find, then they entered (and won) a national geological contest. Then they secured the mineral rights to the whole area, and the race was on.
Maybe I should buy fewer lottery tickets and spend more time out in the field.
The gold rushes
Gold nugget specimen
The world's richest placer ground
Do I have a fortune in my land?
Comments
Clearly their find was due to much more than luck.
1) They had become familiar with their area over many years. (”Berry picking”)
2) They had already found traces of precious metals. (Hello!!)
3) They knew enough to keep digging in the specific location where they eventually found the outcropping. Hmmm?
4) They carried big hammers!