Researchers from the University of Göttingen have discovered traces of the rare metal ruthenium (Ru) in Hawaiian volcanic rocks that point to an origin deep within Earth’s core. Using advanced techniques, scientists detected an unusually high level of the isotope 100Ru—evidence that material from the core, which holds the vast majority of Earth’s gold and other precious metals, is reaching the mantle and surfacing through volcanic activity. The study challenges the idea that the core is fully isolated and opens new insights into Earth’s internal dynamics and the origin of vital resources. They write:
Earth’s largest gold reserves are not kept inside Fort Knox, the United States Bullion Depository. In fact, they are hidden much deeper in the ground than one would expect. More than 99.999% of Earth’s stores of gold and other precious metals lie buried under 3,000 km of solid rock, locked away within Earth’s metallic core and far beyond the reaches of humankind.
Now, researchers from the University of Göttingen have found traces of the precious metal ruthenium (Ru) in volcanic rocks on the islands of Hawaii that must ultimately have come from Earth’s core. The findings were published in Nature. […]
Dr. Nils Messling, at Göttingen University’s Department of Geochemistry, explains, “When the first results came in, we realized that we had literally struck gold. Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into Earth’s mantle above.” […]
This means that at least some of the precarious supplies of gold and other precious metals that we rely on for their value and importance in so many sectors such as renewable energy, may have come from Earth’s core. […]
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