Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Southern Espinhaço Range, Brazil, using time-domain electromagnetic induction: prospecting, efficiency, and environmental aspects

Abstract

Gold mining has profound ties to the history of Brazilian colonization and still takes place with many communities involved in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The most relevant gold deposits in the Southern Espinhaço Range are related to the occurrence of shear zones in the region between the cities of Diamantina and Gouveia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Former colonial-dated gold mines were depleted; however, the use of newer prospecting practices has brought new interest in these areas. In this context, this study assesses the efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic viability of time-domain electromagnetic induction as a gold exploration method for small-scale prospecting in Gouveia county. Additionally, this study provides a characterization of the local gold mineralization and brings awareness to the prospecting community regarding environmental and legal aspects of gold mining. This article presents the results of a field campaign of prospecting efforts in which 114 metallic targets were located, 35 of which were identified as native gold. The gold samples have specific morphology, depth, and weight that suggest a hypogenic origin with a low degree of transport at eluvial levels. From an environmental perspective, the time-domain electromagnetic induction method has presented fewer impacts, related mostly to site-specific remobilization of the soil.