Gold hunters have long known that gold can often be found near quartz in areas affected by earthquakes, but now scientists think they know why. Quartz creates an electric voltage during an earthquake by something called the piezo-electric effect. This voltage allows the quartz to draw gold (an excellent conductor of electricity) out of a water solution. Gold is only soluble up to about 1 ppm in water, so it has to happen repeatedly over really long periods of time to build up a large gold nugget. Radical Theory Suggests Earthquakes Spark Gold Nuggets Into Existence
