A
substantial proportion of current and historic West Coast gold production comes
from deposits situated around the margins of ice age' glaciers. Gold has been
eroded and transported by glacial ice then deposited in till and outwash gravel.
The interplay between fluvial and glacial processes, climate, basement geology,
tectonic uplift, sediment supply and sea level dictates many aspects of the
development of the West Coast landscape. The way in which the external forcing
factors interact is crucial in determining the gold content of placer deposits
in this region. The following is an outline of some of the factors that
influence the gold distribution in vicinity of glacial
margins.