Ever wonder how Earth scientists examine rocks? We cut them up and throw them under a microscope ... and then everything ...

and they are usually derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks in soil (Lapidus 1987). In most soils, feldspars, micas, and quartz are the main primary mineral constituents, and pyroxenes and ...

In these, gold occurs in veins alongside quartz and sulfides within the rock. This alteration is shown by the presence of potassium-rich minerals, such as K-feldspar and muscovite, with gold ...