Gold prospecting

Although traditionally a commercial activity, in some developed countries placer gold prospecting has also become a popular outdoor recreation.

From the earliest textual and archaeological references, gold prospecting was a common thread for gaining wealth.

[3] Sampling and assaying a placer gold deposit to determine its economic viability is subject to many pitfalls.

According to the CSIRO, the termites burrow beneath eroded subterranean material which typically masks human attempts to find gold, and ingest and bring the new deposits to the surface.

They believe that studying termite nests may lead to less invasive methods of finding gold deposits.

A gold pan.
Gold prospecting at the Ivalo River in 1898
Gold rush traces at river in Alaska. Here, placer gold has been industrially extracted by sluices and mechanical devices. Great volumes of material have been washed along this river, the traces can still been seen on this aerial image,