View from Mt. Ngauruhoe to Mt. Ruapehu in New Zealand. Photo by Andres Ello/Shutterstock

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Water located in deep reservoirs located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand is rich with gold and silver, geoscientists say.

High grade deposits of precious and other types of metals are said to dissolve in magma-heated water, or hot springs, but technologies needed to extract them safely are yet to be developed.


Researchers have identified at least six deep reservoirs expected to yield high levels of gold and silver. According to a report published in the journal Geothermics this month, gold concentrations reached 20 parts per billion while silver concentrations hit 2,000 parts per billion.

Geoscientist and lead author Stuart Simmons from the University of Utah says technologies must be developed to help retrieve millions of dollars in gold and silver while also ensuring lasting production. He and his colleagues suggest a process that incorporates a two-phase pipeline.