Strike Zone Gold 101 (Module 1) What Makes a Fault a Gold Trap #faultzonegold #strikezoneprospecting

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Unlock the secrets of gold prospecting in our Shorts Masterclass: "Gold Prospecting Masterclass: Strike Zones & Faults!" Learn how to trace gold through faults, fractures, and mineralized zones. In this high-impact series, we cover essential topics including why faults become fluid highways, the importance of strike vs. dip geometry, and how to identify high-grade ore traps. Discover valuable tips on spotting slickensides and using Deep Dig AI Gold Maps to locate prime targets. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned prospector, this video is your guide to hitting productive zones in your fieldwork.

What Makes a Fault a Gold Trap? – Strike Zone Gold 101, Module 1

Gold doesn’t form at random. It follows pathways deep inside the Earth—and the most reliable of those are fault zones.

But not every fault carries gold. The key to striking it rich is knowing which faults, and more importantly, where within them the gold actually concentrates.

This module kicks off our Strike Zones and Fault-Controlled Gold class by showing you exactly why faults become gold traps, and how to start reading those structures in the field.

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What Is a Fault Zone?

A fault is a fracture in the Earth’s crust where movement has occurred. That movement creates:
• Open space for fluid flow
• Friction and heat
• Chemical alteration of the surrounding rock

Faults become fluid superhighways for hydrothermal systems—those hot, pressurized waters deep in the crust that carry gold, silver, quartz, and sulfides.

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Not All Faults Carry Gold – Here’s Why

To trap gold, a fault must have:
• Permeability: space for fluids to move
• Sealing capacity: minerals must deposit and close the system
• Reactivation: movement that re-opens the crack and allows another pulse

Faults that are repeatedly reactivated and have a mix of open space and sealing minerals are the best gold carriers.

Look for:
• Brecciated material
• Clay gouge zones
• Slickenlined surfaces
• Evidence of multiple mineral generations (cross-cutting quartz, sulfides, calcite)

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Where Gold Concentrates in a Fault

Gold rarely fills the fault evenly. It drops out at:
• Jogs and bends (compression traps)
• Open tension zones (dilatant pockets)
• Rock type boundaries (like shale to granite)
• Pressure drops (where fluids hit low-pressure voids)

These are called structural traps—and learning to recognize them is your ticket to high-grade hits.

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What Does a Gold-Bearing Fault Look Like in the Field?

It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like:
• A clay-rich gouge zone with iron staining
• Boxworks or limonite in soft oxidized fault rock
• Vegetation growing in a long straight line
• A subtle offset in rock layers or gravel
• Angular rock fragments cemented by quartz or calcite

Gold likes to follow the path of least resistance, and that path usually sits just beneath our feet—hidden by erosion or old workings.

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Tools You Need to Read Faults Like a Pro
• Compass or Brunton: to measure strike and dip
• Hand lens: to check for fine vein textures or oxidation
• Geologic overlays (from Deep Dig AI Maps): to trace fault lines and structure intersections
• Prospector’s instinct: look for alignment, offset, and color change

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How to Use Strike Zones in Prospecting

Strike zones are defined by the horizontal direction of the fault—but gold often drops out where strike meets dip or where multiple faults intersect.

This means:
• Don’t just trace the fault line—look for jogs
• Don’t dig the wide quartz—sample the narrow cracks off the side
• Don’t ignore clay—gouge zones often hold oxidized gold

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Connect This to Your AI Gold Map

Your Deep Dig AI Gold Map can:
• Show fault layers over high-res terrain
• Reveal oxidized zones that signal weathered fault paths
• Highlight claim clusters at known gold-bearing structures

Use that map to match real terrain to geologic indicators, then walk your way to the fault line—and the gold it may still be hiding.

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🧭 Download your Deep Dig AI Gold Map free at:
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🔔 Subscribe and stay tuned for Module 2: Strike vs. Dip – Where Gold Drops Out


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