Pyrite

[Findthepin1]

There is a "field" of rocks near my house in which I frequently find pyrite (fool's gold). I go there a couple times a week. There is usually a rock with pyrite in it that I can bring home. I don't understand how it seems to replenish itself while I am gone. I can go to a place and there will be no pyrite, then I can go back a month later and there will be some. Is it actually forming on the rocks in timescales we can see or am I just missing them the first times? I have been exploring that place since like 2007 or 2010 or something, and it isn't a very big place, so I don't know how likely it is. 

Edited February 23, 2016 by Findthepin1

[Spaceception]

Is the area geologically active? That's the only explanation I can think of right now.

[Findthepin1]

It's not geologically active. There is some sulphur in the air and ground but it is from human activities. 

[Spaceception]

2 minutes ago, Findthepin1 said:

It's not geologically active. There is some sulphur in the air and ground but it is from human activities. 

Well, I'm not an expert on this stuff, so I can't help you, maybe Wikipedia can help?

[pincushionman]

It's probably there, under other dirt, and it weathers between visits. So, pretty much erosion in action.

what kind of ground is it? Dirt? Rocks? Vegetation?

[insert_name]

something (wind, water, animals etc) is probably moving the rocks

[Findthepin1]

The top inch or so is basically all rocks, then below that it is rocks and mud. By the way, in like one minute I will be on a plane and unable to answer posts (uses Internet) so I will see you all and be able to post again in like three hours.

[Spaceception]

3 minutes ago, Findthepin1 said:

The top inch or so is basically all rocks, then below that it is rocks and mud. By the way, in like one minute I will be on a plane and unable to answer posts (uses Internet) so I will see you all and be able to post again in like three hours.

Where are you going?

Or rather, where are you now (Seeing as you'll reply to this in 3 hours)?

[fredinno]

13 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Where are you going?

Or rather, where are you now (Seeing as you'll reply to this in 3 hours)?

You don't need to know.

[Spaceception]

5 minutes ago, fredinno said:

You don't need to know.

:|  You're right, I was prying too much.

[Guest]

I find stuff in my yard quite often. Junk from the past left over from shacks and sheds from back in the logging and railroad construction days. Stuff that just seems to come out of the ground sometimes. Freeze, thaw, rain - the ground changes quite a bit over the course of a year. I suspect you may be seeing similar forces at work. The ground can heave up when it freezes, then a rain comes in warmer weather, eroding some of the looser material and uncovering new stuff.

[cubinator]

Yeah, erosion is the most likely cause, especially seeing that the ground seems to be mostly loose gravelly rocks as you describe it. I made pyrite once in a middle school lab, it involved Bunsen burners so I highly doubt the stuff is just growing out of the ground without any volcanic activity. That does being up the question, though, what did happen to make all that pyrite? Your rock field may have some secrets to tell about what your neighborhood was like millions of years ago...

[Aethon]

It's just normal erosion at work.  

One of my hobbies is prospecting for gold and I see this often.  Like Otis said, the freeze thaw cycle will heave rocks to the surface.  Running water will transport even giant boulders over great distances.  Many times I'll find no gold in a place, and at a later date I'll return and find some.

Gold is often found in association with iron pyrite ( Gold wears a red iron hat ) so you might want to make sure it is actually pyrite or that there isn't gold nearby.  Smash it with some pliers.  Pyrite will shatter, and gold will flatten.  You can sometimes crush and roast pyrite to get the traces of gold out, but I wouldn't recommend this.  You might have some Arsenopyrite in the mix and poison yourself with the fumes.

 

 

[dharak1]

@Aethon If you don't mind me asking what area do you prospect? I work a small claim in the summer with my grandfather a couple of hours south of Prince George BC. Its nothing big and definitely not making money but its a nice place to go for a couple weeks away from the big city. 

[Aethon]

If you want to know where I find gold, it's usually in the bottom of my gold pan.  

The rivers and streams of Iowa contain small amounts of gold brought south by some very stingy glaciers.

[dharak1]

I've heard about some gold in that area, don't worry about coming up here to make the big bucks the last gold rush cleaned us out pretty good. The flakes we're left with are pretty though.

[problemecium]

I second pincushionman - it's erosion, which happens plenty fast enough. You pick up a few bits, then the wind blows and rain falls for a while, revealing more bits that were previously embedded in the ground.

[p1t1o]

Quote

...erosion...

I disagree, I think its Tiberium.

[kerbiloid]

So, the resource mines respawn once per month in this location, giving 1 Pyrite.
(And what is strange: every time it is the same piece of Pyrite.)

 

[Tex_NL]

5 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

So, the resource mines respawn once per month in this location, giving 1 Pyrite.
(And what is strange: every time it is the same piece of Pyrite.)

That's probably because once per month your mom cleans your room and instead of throwing it in the trash see simply throws the stupid rock out the window.

[kerbiloid]

1 hour ago, Tex_NL said:

That's probably because once per month your mom cleans your room and instead of throwing it in the trash see simply throws the stupid rock out the window.

Alas, that's OP who owns the respawning mine, not me.

[More Boosters]

It's respawning, duh.

[lajoswinkler]

All I get here is stupid limestone.

[fredinno]

On 2/25/2016 at 4:15 AM, lajoswinkler said:

All I get here is stupid limestone.

At least you get limestone. Here, all we get is granite.

Edited February 27, 2016 by fredinno

[pincushionman]

All we have is clay.