How To Tell If Gold Is Shallow Or Deep?

[dirtdiggin]

Hi all,
Just wondering what the easiest way is to find out if the gold in the particular area is shallow or deep?
The particular area has gold from 5 metres to 1.5 metres that I know of for sure, but there areas where the quartz comes to the surface!
So do I just take test samples of the dirt and gravel and pan it out or are there better ways of finding out?
Thanks

 

[grubstake]

Unless you want to go the sample assay route, there's no better way than careful, methodical sampling and panning. If you don't have the skill and patience for panning though, careful detecting should get you the answer, I reckon.

 

[Dave79]

The depth of any old timers workings will tell you where the best gold is, if there was plenty on the surface they surfaced it. If they dug down by hand you can guarantee that the gold was better down there.

 

[JD3]

Knew a guy that used an auger to test depth. He was a pretty successful operator. I cant be bothered doing it myself as I dont have the time he did.

 

[Moneybox]

I areas where the gold lays on the bedrock the size of the trees or shrubs may be an indicator. More soil, bigger trees.

 

[Skip]

If you know it's 1.5 down better get out a shovel dig a few holes test pan in 1 foot increments.
Take notes then detect the area. Might take you 6 weeks or more but least you'll know. Look for changes in the earth and repeat.

Hope you got time on your hands

 

[Hawkear]

5m to 1,5m to quartz outcrop? That’s three reference points. Can you just extrapolate the bedrock profile?

 

[user 4386]

I areas where the gold lays on the bedrock the size of the trees or shrubs may be an indicator. More soil, bigger trees.

Not terribly reliable. For example, the tallest trees in Victoria are in areas of limited soil depth and lots of rock outcrop. Tree roots vary for different species, so often in low topography with thick soils, short species with laterally-spreading roots dominate - in these areas what you say can be useful if the one species dominates everywhere, However on steep mountainsides the taller trees often have root systems that go vertically down (and follow fractures in rock etc).

 

[user 7268]

Some areas also smaller trees can be a good indicator area was scraped. Tree size can be a good indicator of how long ago

 

[dirtdiggin]

If you know it's 1.5 down better get out a shovel dig a few holes test pan in 1 foot increments.
Take notes then detect the area. Might take you 6 weeks or more but least you'll know. Look for changes in the earth and repeat.

Hope you got time on your hands

Thanks for your input,
I think I’ll just have to do it the old fashion way and dig a hole, as there are a few that are about 1 1/2 -2m deep so I could try these areas first!.
Also why didn’t they just keep digging sideways or out wider ? ,
It’d be amazing to speak with someone who knows, there’s also a Lot of river sand and quartz’s in most that’s been pulled out.
Cheers and yes the reply’s slightly late lol but after Covid I lost the motivation and momentum..
Thanks Again

 

[Moneybox]

Thanks for your input,
I think I’ll just have to do it the old fashion way and dig a hole, as there are a few that are about 1 1/2 -2m deep so I could try these areas first!.
Also why didn’t they just keep digging sideways or out wider ? ,
It’d be amazing to speak with someone who knows, there’s also a Lot of river sand and quartz’s in most that’s been pulled out.
Cheers and yes the reply’s slightly late lol but after Covid I lost the motivation and momentum..
Thanks Again

It sounds like you don't have the fever yet, it tends to be stronger than the plague