Gold leaf discovery in WA eucalypts
CSIRO geoscientists in Perth have discovered trace gold particles in eucalyptus trees in WA’s Yilgarn Craton, signalling major progress for environmentally friendly means of finding new gold. With gold discoveries decreasing by 45 per cent during the past decade, the finding could be a key factor to uncovering new, quality gold supplies. The researchers hypothesised that the trees absorbed gold through their root systems, while scouring for ground water in times of drought. After transversing the trunk, the gold particles are concentrated into the trees’ leaves, where their presence can be detected using the CSIRO’s patented Maia detector for x-ray elemental imaging. “Gold is probably toxic to plants and is moved to extremities, such as leaves, or to preferential zones...
