Mkuvia Deposit Model Aussie-Style Coastal Sand DepA post I found on A G O R A C O M. Makes for interestingreading. The next one will include a response. MKUVIA DEPOSIT MODEL? - COSTAL SAND - AUSSIE STYLE posted on Jul 13, 09 05:54PM Heavy mineral sands potential of the Eucla Basin in SouthAustralia I have posted this paper at this link it is a publishedreport on the mineral sand deposits on the southern coastal margin of Australia. https://web.me.com/jrichm99/Jim/Aussie_Sand_Deposits.html These coastal deposits contain heavy mineral sands (rutile,ilmenite, etc) that are mined at a profit. They are huge coastal sand deposits. As a ‘Citizen Scientist’, working unfunded with othercoastal scientists and engineers, I have participated in research on coastalsand deposits and have given papers at international conferences of coastalscientists on fluvial and marine sand mining. I look at the illustrations inthis paper and feel that IMCO the gold at Mkuvia would be concentrated with the“black” sand (heavy mineral sands – HMS) if Mkuvia is in fact a coastal sanddeposit. These zones of concentrated values are clearly illustrated by theauthors in the Australian analouge. Is this Mkuvia, on steroids?? I have forwarded to and discussed the content of the paperwith Laurie Stephenson via email and relayed my view the Mkuvia discovery toLaurie, Toby and Harp. A couple of things... The test pits at Mkuvia are 12meters, at the deepest. It has been said that placer gold is found at or nearbedrock. Look at the thickness of the Aussie sands, 12 meters just penetratesthe upper zone of these Australian analogues. History of placer mining has shown that not all placerground is rich and that there is a high degree of variability of gold contentwithin placer deposits; narrow pay-streaks in channel flows, heavy mineralsfollowing the shortest distance down any reach of a river, at or near bedrockand concentrations, and in accretionary gravel bars or behind obstructions inthe river’s flow, the amount of gold in the gravels and sands is greatest inthese limited settings in river placers. This is what is generally known aboutenriched zones in river placers. Coastal sand deposits are created in a totally different setof hydrodynamic conditions. Coastal sand deposits are made from the repetitiveand relentless action of waves on the coastline, winnowing out silt and claysized sediment delivered by rivers to the coast, washing the sand clean of the“dirt”. Well when I have “washed” gold bearing alluvial material thegold travels quickly to the bottom of the washing device. So it is in coastal sand deposits, as demonstrated by thisstudy, the heavy minerals are found in the lower regions of the sand layers,concentrated together by the action of moving water. Sand also moves alongcoastlines in currents and forms bars that contain gravel conglomerate layers.Beaches have basal conglomerate layers as well. The other point to be made from this Australian example ofcoastal sand/mineral deposits is that the inferred size of Mkuvia is notfar-fetched. Look at the extent of the Australian deposits, the cover a bigchunk of real estate. This scientific evaluation of heavy minerals in coastal sanddeposits provides the clearest models of what Mkuvia might be. Notice that thevaluable HMS are not evenly distributed throughout the deposit. This is why so many placer operations fail, they think allthat is needed is to make a discovery, move equipment on to the site and startprocessing sand. This is risky, here’s why; Look at the plan-view illustrations in the paper, pick apoint on the map, now determine which direction leads to the higher concentrationsof HMS? What happens when you don’t have this information and start mining inthe opposite direction? Get the idea? What do you see? They really hit the mark in this paper IMCO. Not investment advice. I am not a registered professionalgeologist, just an educated prospector wanting a home-run. DYODD