Welcome To The Official OzGeology Website

OzGeology is all about geology, mineralogy, volcanoes, and the many natural disasters that have shaped and continue to shape our world.

Be sure to check out our Youtube channel here.


Collection 1 Has Sold Out!

Taken from a rare outcrop in the Victorian Goldfields from an area historically worked for gold, silver and antimony.

We have fully sold out of collection number 1.

Thank you to everyone who supported us by buying the specimens.
I appreciate it so much!


OzGeology Articles

How A River Bed Full of Gold Turned Into A Hill

How A River Bed Full of Gold Turned Into A Hill

Hidden in central Victoria is a low hill that was never meant to be high ground at all. This feature is the preserved bed of an ancient, gold-bearing river, locked into hard conglomerate and left standing as the land around it eroded away. Massive rounded quartz cobbles, deep cemented gravels, and early gold rush workings reveal a powerful paleo-river system that once flowed east–west through a landscape completely unlike today. Lightly worked during the 1850s and then abandoned due to the hardness of the rock, this undocumented site offers a rare glimpse into ancient river processes, inverted landscapes, and forgotten Victorian gold geology.

Inside Australia's Largest & Richest Gold Mine

Inside Australia's Largest & Richest Gold Mine

Australia’s richest gold mine isn’t built on classic quartz veins. This deep-dive into the Boddington Gold Mine explains how intrusion-hosted gold and copper formed, why Boddington produces more gold than any other mine in Australia, and how billions of dollars in metal were hidden beneath laterite in Western Australia. Discover the geology, mining history and economic significance of one of the world’s most unusual Archean gold deposits.

The New $11 Billion White Gold Rush in Australia

The New $11 Billion White Gold Rush in Australia

Lithium has become the world’s new white gold, and Australia is emerging as one of the most critical suppliers in the global battery metals race. In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the Tabba Tabba lithium deposit is transforming from a forgotten tantalum field into a world-class hard rock lithium project with the potential to generate billions of dollars in value. This article explores how Tabba Tabba was discovered, why its lithium was overlooked for decades, how its unique geology concentrated spodumene-rich pegmatites, and what its development means for Australia’s role in the electric vehicle and energy transition boom.

The Largest Single Gold Deposit Ever Discovered: Muruntau

The Largest Single Gold Deposit Ever Discovered: Muruntau

Muruntau is the largest single gold deposit ever discovered on Earth, hidden beneath the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan. This article explores how a unique combination of tectonic collisions, deep crustal faults, high-temperature hydrothermal fluids, sulfur chemistry, and immense geological time focused more gold into one place than anywhere else on the planet. From its discovery through arsenic geochemical anomalies to its position within the South Tien Shan mountain belt, Muruntau stands as a once-in-Earth-history convergence of geological processes that pushed gold concentration to its natural limit.

An Ancient Volcanic Arc in Australia: The Pine Creek Orogen

An Ancient Volcanic Arc in Australia: The Pine Creek Orogen

Beneath the landscapes of the Northern Territory lies the eroded core of an ancient volcanic arc that once shaped the edge of Australia nearly two billion years ago. The Pine Creek Orogen preserves the deep roots of a Paleoproterozoic subduction system, where magma was generated, crust was deformed, and metal-rich fluids circulated through the Earth’s crust. Unlike modern volcanic arcs marked by active volcanoes, this system has been stripped down by immense geological time, exposing granites, metamorphosed sediments, and structural pathways that reveal how continental crust grows. This article explores how volcanic arcs form, why Australia preserves only their roots, where the Pine Creek Orogen is located, and how these deep processes led to the concentration of gold and uranium that made the region one of Australia’s most important mineral provinces.

The Search for a Massive Meteorite Impact With No Crater

The Search for a Massive Meteorite Impact With No Crater

Less than one million years ago, a massive meteorite impact struck Earth and scattered molten rock across multiple continents, creating the Australasian strewnfield — the largest known tektite field on the planet. Impact glass from this event has been found from Southeast Asia to Australia and Tasmania, proving beyond doubt that a large asteroid or meteorite collided with Earth around 788,000 years ago. Despite overwhelming physical, chemical, and geological evidence, the impact crater has never been conclusively identified. This article explores how tektites form, why the Australasian strewnfield confirms a single enormous meteorite impact, and how sea-level change, volcanism, erosion, and tectonics may have erased or hidden one of the largest recent impact craters on Earth.

How Melting Ice Triggers Earthquakes and Tsunamis

How Melting Ice Triggers Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Can melting ice really trigger earthquakes and tsunamis in places with no active plate boundaries? This article explores the surprising geology behind ice retreat, fault reactivation, and tsunami generation in tectonically stable regions like Greenland. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, it explains how rapid ice loss during warming periods alters crustal stress through glacial isostatic rebound, allowing ancient faults to slip and, in rare cases, displace the seafloor. We unpack the physical mechanism, examine evidence from the early Holocene, and discuss why a possible trans-Atlantic tsunami linked to Greenland ice retreat matters for understanding Earth system interactions today.

Why Most People Fail at Gold Detecting Full Time

Why Most People Fail at Gold Detecting Full Time

Metal detecting for gold is often portrayed as the easiest way to strike it rich, especially during periods of high gold prices. This article breaks down the real-world realities of attempting to metal detect full time, using Australian conditions as the framework while explaining why the same challenges apply globally. It explores the true cost of detectors, the problem of deep trash, intense competition, physical strain, ground depletion, and income volatility. From public land limitations to private access myths, this piece explains why metal detecting can work for a small number of people, why it fails for most, and what full-time detecting actually looks like once the excitement wears off.

The Uncomfortable Reality of Hard Rock Gold Mining That No One Talks About

The Uncomfortable Reality of Hard Rock Gold Mining That No One Talks About

With gold prices surging, hard rock gold mining is often seen as the logical next step beyond alluvial prospecting. This article breaks down the uncomfortable truth about hard rock gold mining, using real-world examples and Victorian legislation as the reference point. It explains why finding gold in quartz does not automatically mean a viable mining operation, how gold grade varies along veins, and why most quartz reefs are far more complex than they appear at the surface. From free-milling versus refractory gold to crushing, processing, legal limits, contamination, and physical labour, this piece explores the realities that determine whether hard rock gold mining can ever move beyond a hobby. While focused on Victoria, the challenges discussed apply to small-scale hard rock mining almost everywhere in the world.

Should You Quit Your Job & Become A Full Time Alluvial Gold Miner?

Should You Quit Your Job & Become A Full Time Alluvial Gold Miner?

With gold hitting record highs in Australia, many people are asking whether now is the time to quit their job and try to live off gold. This article breaks down the real-world realities of full-time alluvial gold prospecting, focusing on Australian conditions and the Victorian goldfields. It explores how alluvial gold actually forms, why gold distribution is unpredictable, and why a good find doesn’t automatically translate into sustainable income. From overburden and recovery efficiency to legal limits, competition, costs, and psychological pressure, this piece explains what full-time prospecting really involves. It’s an honest look at whether alluvial gold mining can support a livelihood, who it might work for, and why it fails for most people despite high gold prices.

The Recent Discovery of The Largest Gold Deposit on Earth

The Recent Discovery of The Largest Gold Deposit on Earth

China is claiming the discovery of the largest gold deposit ever found, buried deep beneath the Wangu goldfields in Hunan Province. Described in headlines as a “supergiant” gold discovery, the deposit is being promoted with extraordinary figures despite still being in an early exploration phase. This article breaks down the real geology behind the Wangu goldfield, explaining how ancient subduction processes created deep orogenic gold systems similar to Victoria’s goldfields, why the gold itself is geologically young, and how surface workings failed to reveal the true scale of mineralisation. We explore what deep drilling up to two kilometres actually means for mining costs, why much of the gold is refractory and locked in sulfides, and why calling this the largest gold discovery in the world at this stage is scientifically irresponsible. This is a grounded, geology-driven look at hype versus reality in modern gold exploration.

This Volcano Is Waking Up After 700,000 Years of Silence

This Volcano Is Waking Up After 700,000 Years of Silence

Taftan Volcano in southeastern Iran is showing signs of unrest after nearly 700,000 years of dormancy, with satellite data revealing ground uplift and renewed volcanic activity beneath the summit. This article explores why Taftan is waking up, how the Makran subduction zone continues to fuel the system, and what these changes tell us about long-dormant volcanoes that still sit above active plate boundaries.




OzGeology is now on Spotify!


We’re proud (and honestly still a bit stunned!) to announce that OzGeology is now available as a podcast on Spotify.

What started as a small YouTube channel exploring Australia's geology, gold discoveries, and natural history has grown into something much bigger — and it’s all thanks to you!

In an incredible moment we never saw coming, OzGeology has:

🏆 Ranked #1 Science Podcast in Australia

🌟 Achieved #8 Overall Top Podcast in Australia — across every category and genre

🎙️ Secured #1 Top Episode in Australia

It’s rare for a science-focused show to break into the top charts dominated by entertainment, news, and lifestyle podcasts — and the fact that a geology podcast has ranked this high shows just how passionate and curious this community really is.

This milestone means so much to us because it proves there’s a real hunger for stories about the ancient landscapes, goldfields, and hidden wonders that shaped Australia. It’s not just about rocks — it’s about history, discovery, and adventure.

If you love learning about the Earth beneath your feet, the secrets locked inside ancient mountains, or the thrill of finding gold, the OzGeology podcast is made for you.

🔎 Explore new episodes, uncover Australia's hidden geology, and join the growing OzGeology community on Spotify today!

Click here to listen to the OzGeology Podcast on Spotify!

Support The Channel

If you enjoy the videos and want to help keep the OzGeology channel going, consider supporting us on Patreon.
Creating high-quality geology content takes a huge amount of time, research, and fieldwork — and your support helps make it all possible.

While we don't offer extra perks or bonus content (because every spare moment already goes into making the videos you see), your support directly helps fund new episodes, equipment, and exploration trips. And all patrons' names are listed at the end of every episode as a thank you.

If you love what OzGeology is all about, and want to be part of the journey, we’d be honored to have you as a Patreon supporter.

👉 Join us on Patreon


Every bit of support truly makes a difference — thank you!


Translation missing: en.general.search.loading