I have been trying to understand if big nuggets travel further than smaller ones. In my experience I always seem to find the bigger ones further away from the source. Interested to know if this is your experience as well?
Do big Nuggets travel further from the source than small nuggets
- Thread starter AussieGoldDetecting
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
Well not being an expert I would think the larger nugs being moved due to their size and friction involved.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
- Messages
- 745
- Reaction score
- 1,920
Watching....
IMO it would be very dependent on the area.
If the source is low, relatively flat or on only a slight slope then I'd expect the larger bits to not travel too far.
The smaller bits could be moved a lot further with weather events etc. than the large.
On steeper slopes though gravity also plays it's part so along with weather events it can help the bigger bits move further.
Where these free nuggets end up then starts another cycle in their travels. At some point they will end up somewhere that gravity loses a lot of it's effect on movement, i.e. flat bench, low point of gully/waterway etc., so it's then more likely that smaller bits will again move further with weather events, stream action etc.
Also when you say "source" you mean the place on the current ground surface where the reef or whatever protrudes. Millions of years ago the ground surface may have been tens or hundreds of meters higher than now and the reef may well have extended up at an angle so the big nugget hasnt actually moved across from your current "source" but has settled down as the ground & reef have eroded under it.
The smaller nuggets you are finding closer to the "source" are more recently eroded from reef that was only a bit above current ground level..
The small nuggets that were up there in the reef near the big nugget are a looong way away now
The smaller nuggets you are finding closer to the "source" are more recently eroded from reef that was only a bit above current ground level..
The small nuggets that were up there in the reef near the big nugget are a looong way away now
Last edited:
I think there are too many variables to be able to come up with a solution. Don't overthink it, just find a bit of gold and work away from there.
Main factors would be water flow and gravity.
On slopes, gravity has more effect on heavier objects in that more resistance is needed to oppose the force of gravity which is greater on heavier objects. Gravity would be the dominant factor in moving a nugget downhill from the reef it is released from.
Once in the flat section of a creek or gully then water pressure would be the dominant force and have more effect in moving lighter nuggets as the greater inertia of the heavier would come into play.
There are other factors such as the shape of nuggets, depth of embedment in soft strata or clays, soil creep, rock ridges are just some.
Even identification of which reef or where in a reef a particular nugget may originated from has some relevance.
Turn of the century geologist,Bradford, in commenting on the Welcome Stranger Nugget said “The question arises - How far above its position when found was the nugget originally deposited ? It might have been many hundreds of feet higher in country now worn away, or it might only have been a foot or so.”
Whilst nugget distributions may sometimes seem haphazard, every nugget ever found or yet to be found ends up in its position for a reason. I still think more than a casual thought as to why would be well worthwhile.
On slopes, gravity has more effect on heavier objects in that more resistance is needed to oppose the force of gravity which is greater on heavier objects. Gravity would be the dominant factor in moving a nugget downhill from the reef it is released from.
Once in the flat section of a creek or gully then water pressure would be the dominant force and have more effect in moving lighter nuggets as the greater inertia of the heavier would come into play.
There are other factors such as the shape of nuggets, depth of embedment in soft strata or clays, soil creep, rock ridges are just some.
Even identification of which reef or where in a reef a particular nugget may originated from has some relevance.
Turn of the century geologist,Bradford, in commenting on the Welcome Stranger Nugget said “The question arises - How far above its position when found was the nugget originally deposited ? It might have been many hundreds of feet higher in country now worn away, or it might only have been a foot or so.”
Whilst nugget distributions may sometimes seem haphazard, every nugget ever found or yet to be found ends up in its position for a reason. I still think more than a casual thought as to why would be well worthwhile.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2016
- Messages
- 274
- Reaction score
- 295
Great post Hawkear, totally agree.
On another similar line of thought regarding how gold settles in various locations; prospectors often think that in heavy puggy Clay bigger gold can get further into it, but I've repeatedly found that it's actually the fine gold that has a very spherical shape is the gold that can get the deepest into clays.
It seems that the interplay between weight & shape is what dictates how gold is affected by the forces acting on it.
On another similar line of thought regarding how gold settles in various locations; prospectors often think that in heavy puggy Clay bigger gold can get further into it, but I've repeatedly found that it's actually the fine gold that has a very spherical shape is the gold that can get the deepest into clays.
It seems that the interplay between weight & shape is what dictates how gold is affected by the forces acting on it.
Newton tells us that acceleration is a=Fm=GMR2, which is independent of the mass of the object.
Never trusted that bloke!
Moneybox
Philip & Sandra Box
I've notice that they travel further once found so the time factor might have something to o with it
I recent years I've worked some dry creeks in the Pilbara. These creeks flow fast and furious a couple of times annually and are dry for most of the year. Who knows what happened way back when the gold was first exposed but now the big nuggets are certainly not far from their source.
River/creek systems in this region have produced good water worn nuggets up to 100g and most likely much bigger in the past however they appear to be perhaps no more than 20m or 30m from their starting point. I'd find several decent sized pieces within a short distance of 5m to 10m and then only small nuggets scattered down stream. Then perhaps 100m further on there'd be another batch of larger water worn nuggets over a very short distance. In my opinion these larger nuggets over 10g don't move very far at all.
I recent years I've worked some dry creeks in the Pilbara. These creeks flow fast and furious a couple of times annually and are dry for most of the year. Who knows what happened way back when the gold was first exposed but now the big nuggets are certainly not far from their source.
River/creek systems in this region have produced good water worn nuggets up to 100g and most likely much bigger in the past however they appear to be perhaps no more than 20m or 30m from their starting point. I'd find several decent sized pieces within a short distance of 5m to 10m and then only small nuggets scattered down stream. Then perhaps 100m further on there'd be another batch of larger water worn nuggets over a very short distance. In my opinion these larger nuggets over 10g don't move very far at all.
Nice weight mate.
Think that's a bit unfair Manpa. It was just an honest mistake Mr Newton made about not knowing everything about gravity. Perhaps he was still a bit groggy after being hit on the head by a falling feather or was it something heavier like apple?Never trusted that bloke!
I suppose we have to give that smartarse Einstein the credit for explaining that gravity is not a force at all but just an easily understood (for him) outcome of the acceleration effects of curved space time on objects in empty space. A bit disappointed Mr Newton missed on that one.
He should still get a lot of credit from us for his laws of motion.
He pointed out that an object at rest under the influence of gravity would require an opposing force to keep it in a state of rest. If he hadn't invented that law, a nugget would fall through our hands to the centre of the earth or maybe more correctly, the nugget, our hand and whatever else was attached would.. He called that his first law..
Mr Newton also invented another law (his third I think) that says that the force exerted by ones hand in opposing the motion of a nugget, under gravitational influence, would have an equal and opposite force exerted on it by the nugget if it was to remain at rest. This is the force we experience as "weight".
Not to be finished there in between inventing laws one and three, he also invented another law, imaginatively named his number two. This one says that F =ma. We don't need to know a lot of the details about that one except that it says that bigger things weigh more than littler things.
So we still have to be thankful to Mr Newton for, In inventing his laws, nuggets are prevented from punching a hole in our hands (ho ho! joking of course) and falling to the centre of the earth or finding out that the big nugget that you spent an hour digging out weighed no more than a small one.
I am sure Moneybox is especially grateful that the big nugget on his scales now weighs more than a corn flake thanks to Mr Newton and his inventions.
And what's Mr smartarse Einstein ever done for us prospectors? Just the invention of e = mc squared. I suppose that means he invented that conversion thing between energy and mass. But then that means he invented the transmutation of elements in supervova explosions. I take back what I said Mr Einstein, just realised there couldn't have been any gold until you invented you theory of relativity.
Great answer - ThanksI've notice that they travel further once found so the time factor might have something to o with it
I recent years I've worked some dry creeks in the Pilbara. These creeks flow fast and furious a couple of times annually and are dry for most of the year. Who knows what happened way back when the gold was first exposed but now the big nuggets are certainly not far from their source.
View attachment 11041
River/creek systems in this region have produced good water worn nuggets up to 100g and most likely much bigger in the past however they appear to be perhaps no more than 20m or 30m from their starting point. I'd find several decent sized pieces within a short distance of 5m to 10m and then only small nuggets scattered down stream. Then perhaps 100m further on there'd be another batch of larger water worn nuggets over a very short distance. In my opinion these larger nuggets over 10g don't move very far at all.
My first nugget find was a 2 oz with a whites. I can remember putting it down on the ground and squirting it with a hose (don't ask me why I did that) and it didn't move. When turned up the hose nozzle to a jet it still didn't move.I've notice that they travel further once found so the time factor might have something to o with it
I recent years I've worked some dry creeks in the Pilbara. These creeks flow fast and furious a couple of times annually and are dry for most of the year. Who knows what happened way back when the gold was first exposed but now the big nuggets are certainly not far from their source.
View attachment 11041
River/creek systems in this region have produced good water worn nuggets up to 100g and most likely much bigger in the past however they appear to be perhaps no more than 20m or 30m from their starting point. I'd find several decent sized pieces within a short distance of 5m to 10m and then only small nuggets scattered down stream. Then perhaps 100m further on there'd be another batch of larger water worn nuggets over a very short distance. In my opinion these larger nuggets over 10g don't move very far at all.
I was talking about Bert!
Yep… it’s randomly distributed like a ‘ gold lottery ‘ ….
I call it the humpty Dumpty, all that's left today is humpty Dumpty fallen and spread. But a golden humpty wasn't even the shape of an egg.
The colour of his composition are relevant but even after he smashed on the ground, the earth moved, lifted, sheared, eroded, decomposed beneath him moving his yolk here and there.
What did he first look like..
And where was he when he fell..
Very interesting line in the recent post from WalnLiz in their post seems to answer this question
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/hunting-for-reef-gold-an-approach-for-beginners.40107/
"Most of the time the gold nearer the creek is very small as it has shed the furthest, getting larger as it gets closer to It's source."
Thanks as this is exactly what I suspected.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/threads/hunting-for-reef-gold-an-approach-for-beginners.40107/
"Most of the time the gold nearer the creek is very small as it has shed the furthest, getting larger as it gets closer to It's source."
Thanks as this is exactly what I suspected.
Similar threads
