biostudies-literatureCano NMCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033MCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001133European UnionPAPIIT-DGAPA-UNAM14985https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10495403biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, the low solubilities of precious metals in hydrothermal fluids cannot justify the high concentrations necessary to produce such type of hyper-enriched metal ore. Here we show that boiling metal-bearing brines can produce, aggregate, and accumulate metal nanomaterials, ultimately leading to focused gold + silver ± copper over-enrichments. We found direct nano-scale evidence of nanoparticulate gold- and/or silver-bearing ores formed via nonclassical growth (i.e., nanomaterial attachment) during boiling in anScientific reportsNanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas.PMC10495403IN 218323ERDF A way of making EuropeNANOMET PID2022-138768OB-I00PID 2019-105625RB-C21Cano NGonzalez-Jimenez JMCamprubi AGonzalez-Partida EProenza JADominguez-Carretero DfalseNanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas.Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, the low solubilities of precious metals in hydrothermal fluids cannot justify the high concentrations necessary to produce such type of hyper-enriched metal ore. Here we show that boiling metal-bearing brines can produce, aggregate, and accumulate metal nanomaterials, ultimately leading to focused gold + silver ± copper over-enrichments. We found direct nano-scale evidence of nanoparticulate gold- and/or silver-bearing ores formed via nonclassical growth (i.e., nanomaterial attachment) during boiling in an2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Sep2025-04-05T11:20:06.461Z2024-11-21T08:16:15.214ZS-EPMC104954033769686410.1038/s41598-023-41756-4