Scientists have long puzzled over how gold forms in rich deposits around volcanically active regions, but a new thermodynamic model has solved the mystery. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that gold becomes concentrated in these areas due to its interaction with a previously unknown complex.
According to the study, fluids from subducting plates containing trisulphur ions interact with Earth’s mantle under precise conditions, causing gold to strongly bond with this compound. This new gold-trisulphur complex can concentrate gold up to 1,000 times more than its average mantle abundance, explaining the formation of rich deposits near volcanoes.
The research team developed their model by combining laboratory experiments under controlled pressure and temperature conditions with theoretical predictions. The resulting thermodynamic framework provides valuable insights that could improve gold exploration efforts.
This breakthrough has significant implications for our understanding of Earth’s geology and the formation of major gold deposits around the Pacific Ring of Fire, where many active volcanoes are located.
Source: https://scienceblog.com/552667/scientists-uncover-how-gold-reaches-earths-surface-through-volcanic-activity