A Fool's Gold or ... is it? EarthCache
A Fool's Gold or ... is it?
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As one travels among the mining communities in the local area it is not unusual to come upon white or milky colored veins embedded in the many rock outcroppings. Recently we were looking for a mystery cache dealing with the beginnings of Flin Flon and some initial errors in our calculations brought us to this interesting spot. For those of you looking for a EC on International Earthcache day on Oct 12 you might want to check it out.
At this particular location we were impressed not only by the quantity but also, we dare say, the quality and size of the milkly white quartz veins. .Given that our mining friends will often say that the best place to look for a new mine is within eyesight of an existing headframe, and our understanding that gold can sometimes be found in quartz, we got to thinking that this may be an interesting site for an earthcache - so we were inspired to do some research! For example did you know that quartz is the most common mineral in the continental crust, and the one with the simplest chemical formula: silicon dioxide or SiO2. Quartz is so common in crustal rocks that it's more notable when quartz is missing than when it's present! In fact, did you also know, that the lack of quartz in a rock sample is one of the tests for a meteorite! What is not so common is the presence of gold in a quartz rock. Back in the day when people got hit by the gold fever it was not uncommon to find iron pyrite embedded in quartz and to become very excited at the prospect of a gold discovery. To an over excited rookie prospector pyrite does have similar characteristics as real gold! Only imagine their disappointment when they realized they had been fooled! So that you can avoid being fooled, at this interesting location, we have decided to give you some help to make your own real gold detector. Whether you follow the instructions - or not- is entirely up to you! Who knows you may follow in the footsteps of Tom Creighton and David Collins (who are credited with the discovery of the original Flin Flon deposit)! Instructions: 1. Start putting together a gold detector kit. The first thing to put in your kit is a small ceramic tile (available at NorVA in Flin Flon). To use this handy square, turn it over to the back, and scratch a small sample across. Greenish black streak? You've found fool's gold! Golden yellow streak? It's possible you have found real gold! 2. Try to cut the sample with a butter knife. True gold is quite malleable and can be cut relatively smoothly with a knife. Fool's gold will flake and splinter if you try to cut it. Alternatively, if your fingernails are long enough, poke at the area with the edge of a nail. Real gold will dented by this action, but fool's gold will flake. 3. Examine the sample under a magnifying glass. If the gold material looks flaky, than it is most likely not real gold. Real gold will look more like a glob than a flake. 4. Place a drop of muriatic acid on the area of the sample that looks like gold. If it's true gold, nothing will happen. However, if the surface of the sample starts to foam and eventually dissolves, you are dealing with fool's gold. 5. If you are still uncertain consult with a local geologist or one the students who often frequent the area! Whether you test for gold (or not), enjoy your visit to this interesting location, and please send us the answers to the following questions. Questions: 1. When you stand at GZ and look towards Flin Flon what is that tall object in the sky, and what do think it was used for? 2. Do you think it is possible you could find real gold in this interesting location? ( If you do happen to find gold please remember who brought you here!) 3. What is the approximate size of the large quartz vein close to ground zero? We do hope you enjoy your visit and have a great day.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jrne fbzr tbbq rkcybengvba obbgf! Bu, naq lbh zvtug nyfb yvxr gb oevat nybat n trbybtvfg'f cvpx!
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