What.is this stuff?

[stephenhansen2]

I have a couple different looking layers of earth On my place here in NW Washington that have me stumped. I know it's sedimentary conglomerate but what is binding it together is a tar like substance that is black. it runs thru the earth here is a very thin vein. its hard as hell. ven with my back hoe i was having trouble breaking thru it with out tossing my seven ton machine around. here are some pics of the layers. i will grab some close ups here in a bit. any help would be appreciated.

 

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[stephenhansen2]

Her are some close ups.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Well since no one is saying anything.......
I'm no prospector, no rock or geological officianado, so with THAT said,
Don't you all have platinum deposits up there?
Or, just mercury covered gold?
Good luck and let us know what it turns out to be.

 

[bakergeol]

Well as it appears that the material is not fill and man made- It looks like natural asphalt- some call it asphalt rock.
I wonder if it would burn if enough was heat applied to it.

 

[prospect007]

looks like manganese oxide, common accurence .

 

[stephenhansen2]

not asphalt cause the vein runs thru out twenty acres. nothing happened with heat. no burn off or anything. magnese oxide, it that a stickey substance that would bind like this stuff does?

 

[Bonaro]

Interesting...I found this while researching this topic...

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Manganese is a good indicator sign when associated with iron minerals for possible gold deposits, as it is often found in association with these deposits of the native metal. Manganese has the ability of disolving gold when in contact with ground mineral waters. The gold is locked up in the manganese and when the spring water enriched manganese comes in contact with iron, any gold it's carrying will precipitate out into the iron (leach out). I have observed this in many different deposits and believe it to be true. It's the same priciple as when silver is locked up in nitric acid. When you add the non-iodine salt, the silver is precipitated out of the nitric acid to form the white cottage cheese appearing silver chlorides.

 

[stephenhansen2]

well i have a lot of iron present as well. so does that mean any gold around this maganese oxide will have been leached away and not present. is it worth crushing and panning or just leave it and move on?

 

[DizzyDigger]

Stephen, I'm not sure what that black material is, but it looks a little
like some type of schist (in the making).

Something I hadn't thought of until tonight: There are many natural
methane springs in the Ferndale area. A small spring is located in the field
just SE the Main St exit off of I-5, and it's been burning for over 30 years!

Be careful, and if you smell methane don't go making a bunch of sparks...

Been down sick the last 2 days, but hoping tomorrow will be better. If so
I'm heading for the Longhorn Bar!

Hope to get up and visit soon.

 

[stephenhansen2]

Stephen, I'm not sure what that black material is, but it looks a little like some type of schist (in the making). Something I hadn't thought of until tonight: There are many natural methane springs in the Ferndale area. A small spring is located in the field just SE the Main St exit off of I-5, and it's been burning for over 30 years! Be careful, and if you smell methane don't go making a bunch of sparks... Been down sick the last 2 days, but hoping tomorrow will be better. If so I'm heading for the Longhorn Bar! Hope to get up and visit soon.

ya your talking about the eternal flame in deere creek. about a 1/4 mile away from my child home. acually that property is now sold and they capped off the flame. kinda sad to see it go. anyways. thinking its maganese oxide as mentioned before. did some research and it kinda adds up. not sure what it holds cause i have not figured out how to wash it. might try the shake and bake method. glad to hear ur feeling better. i have the next couple weeks completly open so we will have to get u up here or me down there or maybe a little of both. i will give you a call tomorrow or i guess that would be today and see what works.