Looking for an ancient, buried stream bed likely to have black sand and gold

[Rob in KS]

I've been chatting with a guy that has developed a magnetometer. He is looking for a place to test it. I can't help him from Kansas. I bet somebody here can help. Yes, I told him about T-net. Maybe he'll join us here.

Here is his message
I've been busy customizing and outfitting a recently purchased Aliner pop-up camper, but have not been having much luck finding suitable locations and participants for locating and digging ancient, buried stream channels. Perhaps there might be some interest from your mostly-metal-detector group (Mountain time zone states preferred.)

Of course, my participation would be entirely at my expense -- but I would like to keep anything that I personally dig and process.

 

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[Icewing]

Just know that a magnetometer will only detect iron.

Good luck!

 

[Rob in KS]

He is trying to find a line of BS in the creek bed. Probably where the gold would hide. He has mapping software with it. I don't know a lot of details.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I have had good luck using my detector to find iron concentrations in the aid of finding gold.

 

[russau]

Rob tell your friend to read the publication " Ancient river of gold " that has been around for some time ! In it they talk a a ancient river that flowed from southern Cal. around the Mammoth Mtns. at flowed north towards Alaska. One branch arched off East towards the Mississippi River and I believe it flowed through Kansas if I remember correctly. The publication is WELL WORTH READING !!! It was listed in a well known mining publication. I don't know if I could post it's name here But tell him good luck and to keep us informed of his results !

 

[Underburden]

If someone could point him to an ancient buried stream bed then there would be no need for magnetometer.

 

[oneguy]

If someone could point him to an ancient buried stream bed then there would be no need for magnetometer.

Yeppers..... Just keep an eye out for river cobbles hopefully mixed in with sharp bedrock in road cut slopes, etc. and you have found your ancient river bed......

 

[dave wiseman]

Sometimes the river cobbles and bedrock are glacial drift.

 

[Don Land]

Magnetometer Surveying Explained

Rob, thanks for the introduction and insight -- I have now joined the TreasureNet group. To help clarify for everyone, my original posting on another site follows:

"I'm looking for claim-friendly location(s) to test a new magnetometer system that I developed to map now-buried former stream courses by sensing and mapping black magnetite sand deposits close to stream locations historically known to have produced significant gold. Help with digging these potentially rewarding locations is also wanted. My involvement would be totally at my expense. (TopoMag project.)"

Of course, the key is to first locate stream locations, or areas, that have yielded significant gold in historic times. Second, study the surroundings to imagine where the stream may have been located in prehistoric times -- these locations may even be on current hillsides. Third, survey/map the area and dig.

Don Land

 

[Goldwasher]

Rob, thanks for the introduction and insight -- I have now joined the TreasureNet group. To help clarify for everyone, my original posting on another site follows:

"I'm looking for claim-friendly location(s) to test a new magnetometer system that I developed to map now-buried former stream courses by sensing and mapping black magnetite sand deposits close to stream locations historically known to have produced significant gold. Help with digging these potentially rewarding locations is also wanted. My involvement would be totally at my expense. (TopoMag project.)"

Of course, the key is to first locate stream locations, or areas, that have yielded significant gold in historic times. Second, study the surroundings to imagine where the stream may have been located in prehistoric times -- these locations may even be on current hillsides. Third, survey/map the area and dig.

Don Land

Your not gonna able to pull a pop up traler sized machine around. On the modern terrain that covers ancient channels.

Maybe a bit here and there in the desert. But , not in areas where most of the gold bearing ones are.

 

[angelito1]

welcome to tnet……………………………………………………………..

 

[Don Land]

Parking the Camper

Your not gonna able to pull a pop up traler sized machine around. On the modern terrain that covers ancient channels.

Maybe a bit here and there in the desert. But , not in areas where most of the gold bearing ones are.

Naturally, my camper would be parked near roads, or at a campground -- while the AWD SUV would reach further afield.

 

[BillA]

had a couple of Geometrics mags (eventually a G858), I guess you have a gradiometer or a second station for diurnal readings
- sorting out the underlying strata is challenging if covered with soil or vegetation
two difficulties are the magnetism of the 'black sand' and if it carries gold
my best discussions were with Alaskan miners looking on or adjacent to their workings where they already knew if barren or not
no kudos for marking a barren test hole

edit: here in CR there are huge quantities of black sand, but as often as not it is hematite and non-magnetic; can be with fine gold, or not

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

The California State Mining Bureau has mapped things like this. I'm looking at an 1894 map right now.
Some of the deposit is on public land, but mostly on private property. 28 miles long, with some of it on known gold producing areas..others just exposed on the surface with no known mining. Interesting stuff.

Really makes you wonder what is buried 100' below those farm fields.

 

[Rob in KS]

Rob, thanks for the introduction and insight -- I have now joined the TreasureNet group. To help clarify for everyone, my original posting on another site follows:

"I'm looking for claim-friendly location(s) to test a new magnetometer system that I developed to map now-buried former stream courses by sensing and mapping black magnetite sand deposits close to stream locations historically known to have produced significant gold. Help with digging these potentially rewarding locations is also wanted. My involvement would be totally at my expense. (TopoMag project.)"

Of course, the key is to first locate stream locations, or areas, that have yielded significant gold in historic times. Second, study the surroundings to imagine where the stream may have been located in prehistoric times -- these locations may even be on current hillsides. Third, survey/map the area and dig.

Don Land

Hi Don
Glad you signed up here. You'll find a ton of information here

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

What is your long term goal?

I'm not sure what "claim friendly" means.

Also, I see you have posted this same solicitation as a first time poster at other prospecting forums. Do you have any gold mining experience and if so where and with what methods? Watching Gold Rush on tv doesn't count.

You have eluded to the fact that you are willing to participate in the mining at your own expense and that you want to keep whatever gold you personally dig and process. Does that mean you will furnish beany-weenies and 5 gallon cans of gas?

Are you trying to find someone with gold bearing ground, heavy equipment, and a wash plant that would be willing to allow you in as a partner in return for location services? Or were you eluding to the fact that you would act as a participating investor?

I'm just a little confused. Many buried ancient streambeds can be 20'...50'..hundreds of feet below the surface (otherwise they would have already been exploited). Takes excavators and dump trucks...permits to get to the shallowest deposits.

Are you envisioning pick and shovel work?

Not trying to insult you, just a lot of questions that anyone interested would benefit from.

 

[Don Land]

New Approach to Placer Gold Mining Needed

So, you are opposed to testing a new concept in placer gold mining, are you imaudigger?

In my limited experience, it has become apparent that most of the known placer gold locations have been extensively worked in the 1800's, and later in the depression years. (My experience -- 9 to 11 years ago: 6 days LDMA Lost Mine, 23 days LDMA Stanton, 7 days central Idaho. Last year: 7 days Medicine Bow, Wyoming.)

I contend that there is far more placer gold remaining close to historic gold stream channels than remains in the channels themselves.

By "claim-friendly" I am referring to claimable public land without a current placer claim, or claimed (or private) land with the owners support.

No, I will not be providing "beenie- weenies". I will pay my own way -- as I would expect from others. Pick an shovel work is envisioned, my equipment will not likely detect/map magnetite deposits buried deeper than 6 or 8 feet.

Should my experiments prove successful in locating placer gold deposits, as a retired engineer (electronics and software), I may ultimately build and sell these magnetometer systems. (my website is magsurvey.com)

 

[BillA]

Hi Don, I am not speaking for imaudigger but his questions are obvious to a miner - and I know this because I too took a mag 'to find gold'.
You may have a new mag, but mag technology is not new to the goldfields; there are reasons for the limited use.
Your product/services will be successful only if the known deficiencies with existing mag surveys are addressed in some manner.

I took a brief look at your site but did not see what I was after, a topo with the mag survey superimposed showing the depth to magnetite.
Software can generate a spike of any magnitude desired, obviously it is a transverse survey's series of peaks that delineate the course.
Some depth info can extracted depending on the sensor arraignment, are you/your software doing that ?
You are interested in a small portion of the overall magnetic signature, how are you separating the surface (trash) response ?

It is understood that creeks/rivers change their course over time, sometimes slowly and sometimes abruptly (ancient rivers).
Gold can be left behind, is the mag detectable magnetite also left behind in sufficient quantity ?
only sometimes

this is the problem: there can be substantial gold that a mag survey will not disclose due to a (fairly common) lack of magnetite
why not couple a PI and mag ?

edit: Don, if you can make a PI that will detect 100 gm single nugget (or 200 gm) at 6', you could drop the mag

 

[BillA]

If someone could point him to an ancient buried stream bed then there would be no need for magnetometer.

"ancient buried stream bed(s)" are the sole (known) sources of gold here in CR, literally all over

 

[BillA]

I have had good luck using my detector to find iron concentrations in the aid of finding gold.

I have spoken with people who have used mag sticks to locate magnetite, a question of sensitivity.