Abstract
A unique method of gold exploration using a particular soil bacterium, Bacillus cereus, has been successfully tested over a variety of mineral deposits in terrains ranging from desert shrub vegetation to boreal forest. Results of an orientation survey using soil Bacillus cereus, soil Au geochemistry and creosote Au geochemistry over the Mesquite disseminated gold deposit, southern California, are presented in this report. Mineralized bedrock is exposed at the surface and extends to 100 meters beneath alluvium. Samples of soil and creosote vegetation were analyzed for Au to determine if Au concentrations could be used as an exploration guide. Results show increases in Bacillus cereus spore populations coincident with the known location of buried disseminated ore. Soil Au concentrations delineated the trend of the orebody at the surface and at depth provided the soils were collected at the base of creosote vegetation. Gold concentrations in creosote vegetation define only surface outcrops of mineralized bedrock. An effective exploration program for buried ore deposits in extremely arid terrains of this region would involve sampling soils beneath vegetation and analysis of soils for Au and Bacillus cereus concentrations.
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