The Gold of the Taupo Volcano
In the volcanic zone of Taupo, geologists found six large gold deposits.
According to experts, the extraction of the precious metal in this region of the island can turn a profit of $3 billion per year.
In the photo: Taupo is both a volcanic zone and Lake Taupo in the North Island of New Zealand.
Geophysicists from the USA and New Zealand investigated the geothermal wells of the volcano and analyzed the concentration of gold in its waters. They stated that the precious metal amount is 0.02 milligrams per liter of liquid.
The richest gold reserves are contained in several underground reservoirs of this volcanic zone. Scientists explain that gold got into the groundwater that was heated by magma during eruptions of the volcano and settled on the walls of its wells.
In the photo: the geothermal waters of the Taupo volcano that has been active for the past two million years.
Experts note that it is currently impossible to exploit these mining sites. The main problem lies in the fact that there’s a lack of safe and efficient technology for extracting gold from the geothermal waters of the volcanic zone. In addition to that, Lake Taupo remains one of the largest freshwater reservoirs of the island. Gold mining activities can have a negative impact on local ecology and limit the flow of tourists.