| Abstract |
The association of gold mineralization and geothermal fields has long been recognized by prospectors and geologists. This association is a result of the hot magmas which not only produce volcanic eruptions and volcanic rocks but also are the source of the hot fluids that transport gold and other metals and may in fact be the source of gold itself. In the Great Basin area in Nevada certain type of gold deposits and active geothermal systems are spatially associated with one another. Therefore it is logically valid to make use of the presence of gold deposits as a favorable exploration indicator for possible geothermal activity and vice versa. Over the Montezuma - Vasquir project in Crescent Valley, gold mineralization and geothermal fields are most likely to be controlled with features such as volcanic and plutonic rocks, faults, fractures and alteration zones. However, for the most part along the valleys these features are concealed by younger Quaternary valley sediments. The presence of surficial sediment cover tends to hamper conventional geological analysis for geothermal as well as mineral exploration. Thus geophysical exploration becomes particularly important for assessing areas of high geothermal gradient as well as mineral resources under cover. An airborne full tensor gravity gradiometry (FTG) survey was flown over the Montezuma - Vasquir project in Crescent Valley, Nevada in order to map subsurface features which control both gold mineralization and geothermal fields. |