Copper Indicator Plants

[@ophirdog]

Nick, you are a wealth of information. A geologist's geologist.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Thanks. Geology is so much more than just a job :)

[@mikelong9638]

As 'm retired and living in the NE USA, I'm not planning on doing any copper prospecting in Australia anytime soon. That said, this was another fascinating ( and well produced) video in it's own right. Thanks!

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Thanks. Keep your eye out for Bulbostylis Barbata. It also grows in the USA :)

[@geoffgeoff143]

Very informative. A thread that needs pulling.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

It works for me :)

[@mikemalo6336]

now this is info. this is where observation finally makes sense. the plants. so obvious, so genius,

[@GeologyUpSkill]

If you are only looking at rocks in the field, you are missing half of the geological information.

[@trevorwhat]

Fascinating. Thought provoking, too. Locally (here in the Sierra Nevada,) there are serpentine belts that outcrop and host very little flora; if any plants exist, they’re often stunted and of less variety. Your video was thought provoking because it implies a difference between hardy/tenacious plants and those preferring an atypical mineral diet. Thanks for putting these videos together.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

In Australia serpentine belts (or their ultramafic parents) are often indicated by stands if Xanthorrhoea. Again it also grows elsewhere, but when it's the only plant, it's time to take a second look.

[@gregmcnamara2563]

I wish I’d taken photos now, but along the road outside of Chillago you get to see a plant with yellow flowering. It is located in all of the previously historically mined (1890’s to 1940’s) areas. This hold true in other historically mined areas away from the road on various leases and station owned land. The soil/rock in those areas were visibly heavily mineralised with copper, gossan’s being the common indication for originally digging in those areas. Just wish I knew more about what that bush was and any other areas it likes to grow.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Digital cameras are a wonderful thing. It's a different world to the days when every shot cost a dollar and it took a week to get the prints back from the lab!

[@tadessefaji9521]

Thank you!

[@GeologyUpSkill]

You're welcome!

[@michaelharris9069]

Good Info Nick. In my early days working MT Isa/Cloncurry we tried to propagate the copper weed from seeds. It didn't work. In frustration with the seeds not germinating we flooded the pots with liquid copper sulphate and lo - the copper weed germinated. Unfortunately this was some 50-years ago and I can't remember which species we used from the different varieties that you identified. But we concluded the seeds have to be washed in some style of copper fluid.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

That is pretty amazing. I am alsao wondering how the plants get their seeds from one copper anomaly to the next. There is an awful lot of ground without copper in between!

[@geradkavanagh8240]

I remember seeing little copper bush around the old Norton Gold Fields and surrounding hills in Boyne valley near Gladstone. Wish I had known about this at the time. Would have helped when we were marking a couple of mining lease applications in the 1990's. Also remember seeing the bush everywhere around Mount Isa where small copper 'gouges' had been dug.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

It ca be very useful for identifying and mapping mineralized zones in areas where copper mineralization is already known.

[@richardhaselwood9478]

Thanks Nick Going through some grade control logs before I send them to our database, nice to have some intellectual stimulation on in the background.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Hmmm, that's not a very high bar to beat for your attention! ;)

[@wilsonadey5303]

Great job Nick! I really enjoy your videos.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Much appreciated. I had fun making it.

[@craigmachin9876]

Thank you so much Have you got any more on plants and rocks? Love your work

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Not yet, but the research for this video uncovered lots of useful indicator species in other countries.

[@Coltbreath]

Thank You as always!

[@GeologyUpSkill]

My pleasure!

[@brunoandrenacci3466]

Hi Nick, how are you? The information in your video is very good. I wanted to ask you if you know of any uranium indicator plants. Greetings from Argentina, my friend.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

I've never worked on uranium, but I guess there would be some plants that have found a way to tolerate it.

[@keatlenarith1]

thank you

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Thankyou for taking the time to comment.

[@SteveJohnson-CU-CSM]

I tried this in the North cascades of Washington. I tried the “kisplant” and some mosses. Finally I just figured that the copper killed so many things that a biological anomaly showed up. Then I tried the old acid and rock hammer trick on gossans. I thought that was good enough. Now one thing…if someone finds some rare plant growing somewhere you might think twice about talking it up. One useful thing I learned was to look for stressed plants, premature senescence in the fall. Copper is just so toxic.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Yes. Any kind of vegetation anomaly is there for a reason. I want to know why!

[@JhonDiamond2021]

Veri nice video sir

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Kurtis11266]

Would you ever consider showcasing what your life is like being in remote areas such as this? I imagine you camp? I'm sure I'm not the only viewer who would be interested in your way of life. Great video as always

[@GeologyUpSkill]

I do occasionally make little "where I stay" videos, but I post them on Linkedin rather than here.

[@RohitGupta-vg3cb]

Nice Video 📷

[@GeologyUpSkill]

Thankyou!

[@getzvalerevich6565]

Thank you for the video once again. I just want to ask, how come you say copper shouldn't be found in Cambrian sediment??

[@GeologyUpSkill]

In this particular area, Cambrian sediments are considered barren cover rocks. The known copper deposits are all in the basement around 1500Ma and older. Plenty of copper elsewhere in the Cambrian!

[@getzvalerevich6565]

@@GeologyUpSkill appreciate the response and thank you again for the knowledge

[@lundysden6781]

I know that orchids like dolostone due to the mg in it.

[@GeologyUpSkill]

I found that pitcher plants were a good indicator for alunite alteration in PNG because it makes no soil at all and the plants survive by eating insects!