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| The 2019 book edition on Amazon |
Well, it took me long enough! Was beginning to think I would never finish this book on Gold in Arizona - but I did and it is now available at Amazon in both paper back and kindle. BUT, the paper back book is more up to date as I first tried my hand at publishing through Kindle (my first kindle book), and then after months of working with Amazons book templates (which were a pain in the neck), I finally finished a copy of the paper back book with updates, index, and additional editing.
When I started writing this book, I was primarily trying to educate myself on Arizona's geology, which is different from the geology of Wyoming, Montana and Colorado that sit within, or long the flank of the Wyoming Craton (very old continental core). But I did have past experience in basin and range geology in Utah and New Mexico, where I had received part of my education as a geologist.
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| The 2020 Kindle Edition |
Thus, as I began compiling this book on Gold in Arizona, I never thought I would come across so many mines and prospects. Hundreds and hundreds - so many that I could not include them all in my 377-page book.
Actually, I could only get a limited sampling on mines because there are so many. What I did was look at the many, many districts and focused on the important characteristics and some of the more impressive mines. So, if you visit those districts on Google Earth, or by using the AZ Top Maps App on this blogspot, you will be taken to some of the more interesting mines that are listed with GPS coordinates in the book, and provided with ideas on how are where to prospect in these districts.
Actually, I could only get a limited sampling on mines because there are so many. What I did was look at the many, many districts and focused on the important characteristics and some of the more impressive mines. So, if you visit those districts on Google Earth, or by using the AZ Top Maps App on this blogspot, you will be taken to some of the more interesting mines that are listed with GPS coordinates in the book, and provided with ideas on how are where to prospect in these districts.
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| Gold in an Arizona rhyolite |
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| One of hundreds of examples of detachment faults in Arizona. Note that this one, like many others in the state, has a mine adit dug in the footwall for gold. Both the footwall (the rock below the fault) and the hanging wall (the rock above the fault) may be mineralized in gold in these types of deposits described in the book. |
In addition, there are relatively recently recognized gold deposits associated with what are known as detachment faults found over a giant region running from one side of Arizona to the other - and most of these are only partially explored with large regions remaining unexplored. And there are lots of the wet and dry gold placers. Yes, Arizona is known for copper, but it is also a significant source for gold.