Synchrotron Data - Hough 3690 (July 2011) - Large area Maia mapping of invisible gold

Gold in the world-class Porgera, Hishikari and Carlin gold deposits is present as invisible, trace and nanoparticulate component with a largely unknown distribution at the section scales. The gold geochemistry is still poorly understood in these deposits. For instance, it is unknown as to whether the rock matrix also host ore stage gold and trace element associations? Are there any zonation, unknown gold deportments or large scale element associations at the thin section scale? These are key questions to reveal the formation of these giant gold systems and in the economic recovery of the gold.\nLineage: Data was produced using the Maia 384 element detector array on the XFM X-ray microprobe beamline of the Australian Synchrotron and processed using the GeoPIXE software package.\n