black sand depth question

[hall]

hey guys just wondering about the depth that you find black sand. is it common to find it near the surface or down deep or does it show up at all levels?

thanks for your time.

 

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[goldenIrishman]

It can and will show up at all levels. On the road down to one area we work you can see ribbons of black sand just sitting on the surface while digging in the bottom of a hole you can still find tons of it.

 

[Lanny in AB]

I'm with the Irish on this one.

I've found it in the bottom of the deepest crevices, and in the tailwater behind rocks right on the surface!

If gold is where you find it, black sand must have gone to school to study the same tactics!!

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[DDancer]

As stated black sand will show up at any level of digging and anytime. Trick to it is finding that layer where gold is hanging out with those black sands. In my experience area's with heavy black sands tend to have gold more towards the bottom of the bed as usually these areas are pretty turbulent in streams and the sands have been disturbed enough that lighter sands have been knocked off and the gold allowed to fall thru the black sands. Outside of the stream bed on banks gold is more likely to be found in larger layers of the black sands. But its all worth a look.
Luck to ya.

 

[goldenIrishman]

There are a couple of things that will come into play on just how black sands are distributed in a stream. Mineralization of an area, terrain and water flow are the big three. Another is the geographical area and just how/when it gets it's rainfall.

Here in S. Arizona, the terrain is usually rocky and very highly mineralized. We don't get much rain, but when we do it's a downpour. I've seen washes go from bone dry to having 4 ft. of water heading downstream at 60 mph withing 15 minutes. Needless to say, that kind of flow is going to move some materials a looooong way! Places that had boulders the size of small cars are cleared of all rocks in a matter of minutes. So, the so called "normal" way of reading a stream for gold and or black sand is pretty much out the window.

One of, if not the best way to get a good idea on how the flow is going to distribute materials is to watch it in all possible conditions. Everything from flood levels (as long as it's safe) to barely a trickle should be observed. What you want to watch for are areas that are calmer than the rest of the stream/river. These are "low pressure zones" and these are the areas where gold will have a good chance to drop out of the flow and gather into layers with the other heavy materials. You may get wet making these observations but it is well worth the time and discomfort if it leads you to a nice big pocket of gold.

 

[hall]

thanks for all the info guys. the area i'm in has alot of shale and clay. limestone is quite common in the stream.