Historical reference
The nineties of the 19th century in US history were marked by a serious economic crisis. Mass bankruptcies and stock market panics of 1893 and 1896 caused an unprecedented increase in unemployment. The first news in 1896 about the discovery of gold placers in the Klondike region attracted tens of thousands of people who decided to try their luck in this harsh region.
Among the gold miners was Jack London, who survived the difficulties of life in the Arctic. The writer suffered from scurvy and did not find a single gram of gold, but the life experience gained became the basis of literary creativity. This is how the whole world learned about the Klondike gold rush.
The first major discoveries and the beginning of the gold rush
The first gold deposits were discovered in August 1896 in the Bonanza Creek basin. The discovery was made by members of an expedition that included Indian Jim Skookum, a nephew and a cousin. The travelers were looking for a relative of Kate and her husband George Carmack, after which they met with gold miner from Scotland Robert Hederson.
According to legend, the discovery of gold placers was made by Jim Skookum, but the claim was made to his sister's husband, Carmack. Travelers were afraid of racist persecution, typical of that time: the discovery of an Indian might not only not be recorded, but also taken away.
The news of the discovery of the precious metal quickly spread throughout the area, and by July 1897 reached the shores of the United States. Thousands of people went in search of wealth. The center of gold mining became the small town of Klondike, whose population grew to 40 thousand people. The area's infrastructure was not developed, and there was a threat of famine.
One of the conditions for crossing the Canadian border was the availability of an annual supply of food and a large sum of money. Many sold and mortgaged their houses, risking everything for the sake of illusory wealth. Jack London went to Alaska with money from his sister, who had mortgaged her house.
The gold rush swept through Alaska in three waves. After the first discovery of Carmacks and Skookom in the east, gold was discovered near the town of Nome in 1898, and in 1902, the Italian Felix Pedro found placers of the precious metal on the Tanata River.
Seekers of happiness from all over the world came to Alaska. Among the earners there were many educated, intelligent people. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, clerks, even city mayors gave up prestigious positions and set off on a dangerous journey.
The path of gold miners began from the villages of Dayo and Skagway, through the Chilkoot Pass to Lakes Lindeman and Benet. They then traveled down the river in homemade boats to the town of Dawson. The travelers had to carry huge supplies of provisions and equipment. Many returned back without calculating their strength. In conditions of harsh winter and hunger, miners died. By the time the bulk of the people arrived, the plots of land with gold had already been dismantled.
Order was maintained by the Canadian Mounted Police. She carefully checked travelers when crossing the border, regulating the transport of firearms. The country's authorities were afraid of an armed seizure of the territory by the United States.
Since the discovery of the first placer and within 100 years, 12.5 million ounces of gold, or 355 tons, have been mined in Alaska.
Gold mining in Russia and the world: features of the process
It is possible to mine gold in Russia, but only by being an employee of a company that carries out similar activities. To do this, you will have to move to live in Magadan or Yakutia, since that is where the enterprises engaged in gold mining are located. There are very few precious nuggets on the surface of the earth, but there are many such places on the territory of Russia, which allows the country to confidently take fourth place in the world - according to research, 7% of the total world reserve of this invaluable metal is located here.
Industrial production rates appeared in Russia from the end of the 18th century. Active development began after the discovery of a single nugget was reported. Today, despite all the technological research, the process of gold mining requires a lot of effort and time. Scientific research helps reduce costs; many miners are also looking for mines that are also unprofitable in order to try to improve the process using modern technologies.
Despite the fact that gold mining in Ukraine is insignificant, it is still produced in several deposits. The process of gold mining in Ukraine is no different from Russia and depends directly on technological progress not only in the country, but also in the world. Thus, the very first mines were explored entirely by hand, just as gold is mined today, for example, in Africa. Despite great physical efforts, it will not be possible to obtain gold in large quantities without technology, which is why gold mining on this hot continent is dangerous. The manual method, with all its complexity, is still an effective method of extraction today, and is therefore used by many companies.
Map of natural resource extraction in Ukraine, including gold.
At the same time, and not surprisingly, other methods are known in world practice that are effective and efficient. A striking example of this is the extraction of gold directly from the rock, and not by manual sifting of gold sand.
Main gold deposits
For a long time, the main mines being developed were of a loose nature. They provided the bulk of the precious metal. In recent years, preparations have been made for the development of several large ore sources.
Field map
Gold deposits are found throughout the peninsula. The largest of them:
- in the east - Juneau;
- in the south - Anchorage;
- in the west - Nome, Nyack, Donlin;
- in the central part – Fairbanks, Livengood, Fort Knox.
Modern methods of gold mining
Today, many problems, primarily with the speed of work, have been resolved thanks to the availability of technical devices - excavators and other special equipment. She helps a lot in this undoubtedly complex and responsible process. That is why almost no one mines gold manually in the same way as they did 100 - 150 years ago.
However, despite the presence of modern high technologies, the process of mining and directly excavating gold remains a very complex and very long task. In order to understand how the formation is placed and how gold mining actually functions, you can watch the video below.
Who and how are precious metals mined in Alaska?
US legislation allows the extraction of natural resources by both legal entities and individuals. Private development was allowed in 1872 and has not been repealed to this day.
In addition to the work of mining companies, recreational or tourist gold mining is developing in the state. For work they offer simple tools for washing gold-bearing sands and small dredges. Typically, tourists are offered a comprehensive vacation with accommodation, meals and fishing. Digging is one of the entertainments offered.
Some companies sell gold sand, which can be washed at home and get precious grains.
By the way, there is a show about the gold rush on Discovery Channel. Project participants are invited to engage in gold mining on one of the rivers of Alaska.
Gold mining companies
The main production is carried out by large companies. One of the largest plants, Kinross, is developing the rich Fort Knox deposit in the northeast of the state. About 12 tons of gold are mined here every year.
and Novagold began developing the rich Donlin gold mine in western Alaska. According to preliminary estimates, up to 40 tons of precious metal will be mined here per year.
Another promising project was the development of the Pebble polymetallic deposit in the south of the state. plans to produce 1,150 tons of gold here.
The Japanese company is working at the large Pogo mine. The total reserves of the source exceed 130 tons of metal.
Extraction methods
Large gold deposits are ore in nature. Metal is mined here using an open-pit method, processing millions of tons of ore. Such works quickly transform the area into a lunar landscape.
Alluvial springs are also significant in Alaska. Particularly large gold deposits are located in the Yukon River basin. In such places, dredges of different sizes are used - special floating machines that automatically wash tons of sand.
Gold mining volumes
Currently, placer mining predominates. Every year, the largest mines produce 23 tons of gold. How much metal is mined by numerous small companies, individuals do not know exactly, because... no general statistics are kept.
Where can you try to mine gold yourself?
Many people strive to become rich. Everyone goes to this in different ways: some work hard, and for others, the source of inspiration is adventure novels about the times of the Gold Rush, when gold mining was especially popular, including in Alaska, where it was especially intense.
Today, many countries allow ordinary people to engage in gold mining. Gold mining is presented in the United States not only for the development of its own economy, but also as a kind of entertainment, which, however, brings considerable income to the country's treasury. It is important to remember that Alaskan gold requires investment from a person, that is, simply coming and starting excavations will not work, you need to purchase equipment.
At least 230 artels, each of which has at least three people, try to extract Alaska gold every year. In Alaska, it is possible not only to purchase everything you need locally, but also to rent equipment. Meanwhile, you should not try to mine gold, for example, in South Africa - gold mining there is very dangerous for a lone adventurer. When it comes to Alaskan gold, you won’t be able to get rich quick doing this kind of work. As inexorable statistics say, 80% of prospectors can find no more than 20 kg of this precious metal through joint efforts. By dividing this number by the number of people wanting to get rich quickly, you can understand how small the amount received from such an adventure is.
Data for 2011 indicate that out of 227 teams working in search of gold in Alaska, only two of them were able to obtain 80 kg of gold, which, of course, brought them a good profit. It should be remembered that gold mining in Kazakhstan, as well as in Russia, by private individuals is prohibited. However, you can find out exactly where gold is mined in Kazakhstan by using a map on which all deposits are marked.
Methods for extracting gold from ore
Gold mining in modern Australia is carried out exclusively using high technology and scientifically developed means. The most popular among specialists is amalgamation. It is based on mercury, which has the natural property of enveloping gold.
Another method involving the use of chemical elements is based on sodium cyanide. This method, as if by magic, returns profitability to seemingly unprofitable enterprises.
At the bottom of a wooden barrel, mercury is placed into which rock with a certain content of the noble metal is poured. Due to a chemical process, even the smallest particles of the precious substance stick to mercury. In order for this method to work, you need to know its operating principle - in order to peel gold from mercury, it is heated, for which an open fire or an electric stove is used. The only drawback of this method is that mercury is toxic. For this reason, this process is rarely used and gold miners prefer to extract the yellow metal using special equipment. Alaska gold is also mined and extracted using it.
