Gold mining

Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques by which gold may be extracted from earth and rock:

Hydraulic mining

Hydraulic mining is a form of placer mining employed in areas where large amounts of loose gravel and sand or soil are poorly consolidated and may be washed away with a heavy stream of water. Water cannons are sometimes used to strip away entire hillsides of loose material, which are then run through a sluice. Gold, being denser, does not move as readily as other sediment and concentrates in the sluice, from which it is collected. This technique can damage the environment, causing siltification in streams below the mining site and erosion damage at the site itself.

Related Topics:
Hydraulic mining - Placer mining - Water cannon - Sluice - Siltification - Erosion

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