Productive Pressure.

A new study suggests that earthquakes may play a role in the formation of large gold nuggets. The stress and strain caused by moving tectonic plates during an earthquake could trigger a chemical reaction that causes tiny particles of gold to come together and form larger nuggets. Previously, it was unclear how larger nuggets could form within quartz cracks, but the study proposes that the activation of a geochemical property called piezoelectricity during earthquakes could make this possible. The findings provide a new understanding of gold formation processes and could have implications for mining. [Extracted from the article]