placer deposit

English - English

Definition of placer deposit in English English dictionary

Natural concentration of heavy minerals caused by the effect of gravity on moving particles. When heavy, stable minerals are freed from their matrix by weathering processes, they are slowly washed downslope into streams that quickly winnow the lighter matrix. Thus the heavy minerals become concentrated in stream, beach, and lag (residual) gravels and constitute workable ore deposits. Minerals that form placer deposits include gold, platinum, cassiterite, magnetite, chromite, ilmenite, rutile, native copper, zircon, monazite, and various gemstones

Hyphenation

pla·cer de·po·sit

Turkish pronunciation

pleysır dıpäzît

Pronunciation

/ˈplāsər dəˈpäzət/ /ˈpleɪsɜr dəˈpɑːzɪt/