Searching for mineral deposits in a specific area using various methods to investigate the potential sites by direct observation, research and sampling. Studying the geology of a place by collecting samples can help identify areas that contain valuable minerals, which are then extracted. Hence, prospecting is an integral part of the mineral exploration process and often leads to discovery of new and valuable mineral deposits. However, before you go straight away for gold prospecting in Ontario, you should know where prospecting can be suitable and fruitful.
Prospecting in Canada is regulated by the PDAC (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada), a national organization representing the interests of the Canadian prospecting and mining industry. So all prospectors must obtain a permit from the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) for gold prospecting in Ontario.
Moreover, the prospector should also have knowledge of the ore types that are most likely to carry gold, or the time employed will be a waste. It is possible in most deposits to identify the rock or even the river streams that transport gold. Different transportation systems, including percolating water and gasses from cooling systems, carry gold ores. The former method is the most important as the percolating waters are charged with many heavy metals or base metals, while the latter is characterized by special fluids locked into the rock in chemical combination, which pass through different rock formations on their way to the surface, dissolving several minerals and carry them in solution for large or short. The mineral-loaded water then reaches space in the rock where they deposit its valuable charge, and these spaces are open and formed by earth movements or large open spaces formed by the dissolution of other minerals. The vein deposits can be identified in the open fissures, and the fluid may leave their metallic minerals into purpose formation like granite to form disseminated deposits.
Remember that percolating fluids are acid ground waters that penetrate rocks, dissolve the matrix and transport metals, which could be lead or copper, to different parts; hence, for this reason, some polymetallic deposits contain significant amounts of gold.
Since gold is heavy and resistant to weathering, it has been concentrated in sand, gravel and different rock formations. Hence, placer deposits have been mined for gold since the first days of mining. The mechanical concentration of heavy minerals forms these deposits, and the extracted product is of important commercial value. Placer deposits are located in or adjacent to river streams, and the material is developed due to the action of running water, ocean, wind or lake waves. They are easy to prospect and are usually estimated in qualitative form.
Deserts have been overlooked for many years for gold prospecting due to the lack of water. But dry concentrators are now used to recover gold from these places. However, precious metals may be found anywhere but should be of practical level, and quantity, and some small pieces may also contain sufficient values of gold. Such places are very good for small miners or recreational activities. Rockers and choices are also good options for small miners.
Gold deposits may also be present on the side of a mountain or on any bench removed from any body of water, which are ancient water deposits left by the flowing stream or probably the beach of a very old aquatic formation. Most of the time, these formations are not accessible, or the prospector needs to remove materials such as plants, rocks or ground. While some zones may report high gold contents, other deposits could be extremely small. Hence, proper evaluation is necessary to find profitable deposit volumes.
The most favorable places for metallic deposits are mountains and volcanic areas, as these places are characterized by faults and fractures in the rock formation that are just appropriate for gold mineral concentration. Also, the mountainous and hilly areas are suitable for contact or outcrops, which indicate what values are under the surface. The first indication will be mineral fragments or some loose material that looks like a floating material, while the last indication will be the ore source found in a slope. The veins could be exposed on the surface at these places due to the action of different agents like fluids or weathering.
The outcrops can be covered by undesired materials that need to be eliminated. So the prospector should be able to clean the area and follow the vein so that the deposit orientation and possible volume can be recognized. Some outcrops are characterized by silica rocks, stand on the surface, and can be easily detected. But some others cannot be detected easily due to being very small. Many base metals and their minerals weather easily and can be detected in outcrops. These base minerals can be potential gold carriers.
Dry places are also potential places where there could be gold so the prospector should observe the zone and look for dry rivers.
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