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Placer deposit identification and geology

A concentration of dense, resistant, economically valuable minerals gold, platinum, diamonds, cassiterite, zircon in alluvial, beach, or other sedimentary environments, formed by the mechanical sorting action of water or wind. Heavy minerals are concentrated because their high density causes them to settle preferentially in areas of reduced flow velocity—behind obstructions, in channel bottoms, and at the base of gravel bars. Field: economic geology. Example: The Klondike placer gold deposits were formed by the erosion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the surrounding bedrock and the concentration of heavy gold particles in Pleistocene and Holocene river gravels.. Related terms: Alluvial, Gold, Heavy mineral, Concentration.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.055955+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Placer deposit mean in geology?
A concentration of dense, resistant, economically valuable minerals gold, platinum, diamonds, cassiterite, zircon in alluvial, beach, or other sedimentary environments, formed by the mechanical sorting action of water or wind. Heavy minerals are concentrated because their high density causes them to settle preferentially in areas of reduced flow velocity—behind obstructions, in channel bottoms, and at the base of gravel bars.
What is an example of Placer deposit?
The Klondike placer gold deposits were formed by the erosion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the surrounding bedrock and the concentration of heavy gold particles in Pleistocene and Holocene river gravels.
Which earth-science field uses the term Placer deposit?
Placer deposit is used in economic geology.
Which terms are related to Placer deposit?
Related terms in this reference are Alluvial, Gold, Heavy mineral, Concentration.

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