Dispersion of gold and other metals by trees, gravels and soils near Boddington Gold Deposit, Western Australia

摘要

South west Western Australia is host to some of the world's largest mineral deposits including bauxite, Ta and Au. The giant Boddington Gold Mine exploits one such deposit and is located in forested areas south east of Perth. Exploration for Au in this area has concentrated on sampling surficial Fe-rich lateritic residuum and its degradation products and was how Boddington was originally discovered; it has a multi-element signature. Despite its location in forest there has been little biogeochemistry undertaken in this area or consideration of whether trees (including eucalypts) are agents of dispersion of metals in this terrain. Eucalyptus trees have been shown to be responsible for forming anomalies above gold deposits in semi-arid areas of Australia and the location of Boddington in a humid environment provided an important comparison in which to investigate this possibility.