So Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, but Gold Does?

There has been a recent discovery of microscopic gold particles in Eucalyptus trees in Australia. Traces of gold have been found in the leaves, twigs, and bark of the trees by using the Australian Synchrotron, a machine that helps identify matter by displaying it in detail. Scientists infer that the trees had absorbed the gold from deep underground while they were taking in water from the soil. They also infer that there is a gold deposit underneath the trees. It is uncertain whether the traces of gold were windblown or whether the tress truly absorbed the particles through their roots, so the researchers ran tests to find out. The researchers also view this new discovery as an option of finding ores in hard to reach areas. Although the trees themselves do not have enough gold to amount to something substantial, they can be used as indicators of where there are gold deposits. The presence of the gold particles indicates that there is a great treasure, a gold deposit, meters underground. According to Dr. Lintern, an Australian geochemist from CSIRO, the discovery brings a new method of finding metals that is efficient and less expensive than the previous methods. It lessens the damage done to the environment since it only requires a sample of the trees, and it saves money for the people who seek metals. The method can possibly be used with other metals such as iron.

Since gold has been discovered in trees, specifically in Eucalyptus trees, it is possible that people will cut them to dig underneath the trees in search of the precious ore. Miners find this new discovery extremely positive, for gold discoveries have declined by almost half. With the price of gold at over a thousand dollars an ounce, it is no wonder that the discovery has sparked the interest in these ore-seeking people. Gold is high in demand since there are people who are willing and able to purchase such a luxury, but recently it has been difficult to find, thus making the supply low. Now that a new method of finding gold is available, miners will be able to find gold more easily. There would be less need to use drilling as a way to track gold, and the new method allows for investigation in smaller areas versus large areas undergoing drilling tests. Since the trees provide a cheaper way of finding gold, the profit gained by miners increases. More resources of gold will be found, and the supply will increase.

Based on http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131022-gold-eucalyptus-leaves-mining-geology-science/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24628241