Gold Nugget Distribution - Just How Much Gold is in That Gold Nugget Patch?

Knowing the amount of gold available and the gold nugget distribution in a patch will help you sleep better at night.

Why, because you will know how much you have found and how much is left for you to find with your metal detector.

You wont be guessing or have concerns that you have left any behind for the next person.

So How DO You know How Much Gold Is In A Gold Nugget Patch?

This page is aimed more at the thinking metal detectorist that doesn't just wander around, find a nugget and leave satisfied.

It is a quick way to estimate roughly how much Gold is in a patch and the likely gold nugget distribution in the patch using Zipfs Law

Gold Nugget Distribution in a Virgin Gold Patch

Zipfs Law

Exactly... What the??

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Definition of Zipfs Law, if you want to read some more about it.

Basically if you get bamboozled by all the mathematics what Zipfs Law means relating to gold is that if you take the largest nugget in a gold nugget population then the available Gold nuggets left will range downward in a mathematical progression.

The Second largest nugget will be 1/2 of the largest nugget, the third 1/3 of the largest nugget and so on continuing down the scale.

Here is a graph to show the relationship of gold nuggets in a population of nuggets where the largest nugget is 27grams.

Is This a Scientifically Proven Method to Calculate Gold Nugget Distribution in a Patch?

The short answer to that is no, we dont have sufficient data to prove it conclusively.

However, the theory was first introduced to us at an Amalgamated Prospectors and Leaseholders Association conference by Dr Bob Fagan. Dr Bob Fagan was a Senior lecturer in Structural and Metamorphic Geology at Curtin Uni in WA. He has retired now and is a life Member of APLA.

Not long after that we had a chance to field test the theory because we happened to find 7 nuggets in a patch with the largest one 27.5 grams.

Using the Zipfs Theory we were able to roughly estimate how much gold was in the patch and the distribution of nuggets, assuming the 27.5 gram nugget was the largest.

Here is a graphic representation of Day 1 gold nuggets found, the Zipfs Distribution and the final nugget count after cleaning out the patch.

Day 1 Gold Found and Estimated Distribution of Gold Nuggets Using Zipfs Law

Total Gold Nuggets Found and Estimated Using Zipfs Law

Your Very Own Gold Nugget Distribution Calculator

Here is a very basic calculator that you download and use to estimate the gold nugget distribution in the next patch you find.

We are building a graph that will be embedded in this page and it will be available soon, but in the meantime just download and unzip this Excel file gold-nugget-distribution-graph open it in Excel.

Then simply insert your biggest gold nugget weight.

..... The spreadsheet will then estimate;

• Total Gold in the Patch.
• Possible nuggets sizes ranging downwards by weight in the patch.
• Enter gold nuggets found and then you will see how much gold and the approximate nugget sizes left.

Dont be slavish about using it and try to find every last 0.5 gram piece of gold, it's just a guide, and remember our friend we discussed earlier,

....He may have found a few nuggets already and wandered off to greener pastures leaving you with the rest, but at the same time messing up your Zipfs distribution graph.

Return to Gold Prospecting home Page from gold nugget distribution page.

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