This is the second in a series of articles and videos in collaboration with Mickey Fulp from Mercenary Geologist, analyzing the various segments within the gold mining and metals sector.
The first article was posted on January 30, 2015 and titled The Real Cost of Mining Gold. As the title suggests, the article examined the operations of 7 major gold mining companies to determine the real cost of mining gold since reporting standards have failed to provide an accurate picture to investors. Three short videos on the subject can be accessed here: Cipher Research Media.

Harris Creek is a Au-rich, cobble-gravel bed stream in southern British Columbia, Canada. A preliminary study, based on analysis of < 0.053 mm sediments and heavy mineral concentrates (SG > 3.2) from bulk sediment samples, identified accumulations of Au at breaks-in-slope of the stream gradient. This is consistent with theoretical models of heavy mineral transport by streams (Day and Fletcher, 1991). However, the breaks-in-slope also coincide with active landslides that might, because of the form of the Au anomalies, be interpreted as the source of the Au. To investigate this we have: (1) monitored erosion of the landslides and determined their Au content; and (2) used multi-element geochemistry (with Al, Mg, Na, Ba, Ti, P and Sr) to fingerprint the influence of one of the landslides on the composition of the < 0.053 mm fraction of the stream sediments.

For the first time in years, the sun broke through the darkness. There was still a whiff of smoke wafting from the gray clouds, which blanketed the ground in shadow. Down below, the land was wrecked. It was all dirt and mud, a wasteland absent any greenery or color whatsoever. Silence hung in the wind, punctured only by the churn of a river, its currents clogged with sticks and stones and the residue of decay. <...>

Endowed with colorful plumages and beautiful songs, birds in flight symbolize spirits released from the bondage of gravity. From the day that humans first looked up at the skies, birds have summoned a sense of wonder and mystery, enchanting our earthbound ancestors with their freedom and song. They fly where they please and when they please. The power of flight has opened up to birds a multilayered network of aerial highways and byways, enabling them to reach any place on our planet. They exhibit a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and habits.