Over this type of terrain, rocks called laterites, are often found. They contain small fragments of gold and other mineral traces.

Previously it was thought that laterites came from elsewhere, or were so extremely weathered that they didn't necessarily indicate what was below the surface.

But CSIRO's Dr. Raymond Smith and Dr. Ravi Anand have shown that these laterites were formed through the deep weathering of the local rock over tens of millions of years, and could indeed indicate a fortune below.

"By applying exacting sample preparation and low level chemical analysis, we were able to demonstrate that the gold at trace levels in the rocks did indicate the presence of large deposits of gold under the surface."

By studying the rock and the area from where it originated, the CSIRO team were able to provide the mining industry with a breakthrough in exploration methods that they desperately needed.

This research has opened up vast lateritic areas for exploration around the world. And in Australia has been a key factor in the discovery of more than twenty gold deposits in Western Australia, the value of the largest two amounting to five billion dollars.