In contrast to various conspiracy theories, the
Earth’s core
isn’t hollow. The
dense, hot ball
Instead, it includes a mixture of valuable metals such as platinum, ruthenium, and virtually all of Earth’s gold. Although this might sound highly profitable, accessing this hidden trove located under over 1,850 feet of solid rock is practically impossible for humans. However, new findings from volcanoes in Hawaii suggest that small quantities of these sought-after metals are making their way upward from the depths of our planet.
“When the initial results started coming in, we understood that we had essentially hit the jackpot,” said Nils Messling, a geochemist from Göttingen University.
said in a statement
Our findings showed that materials from the core, such as gold and various precious metals, are seeping into the layer of the mantle that lies above.
Messling and her team detailed their discoveries in a research paper released on May 21 in the journal
Nature
The team recently identified minute quantities of the valuable element ruthenium when examining volcanic rock specimens gathered from various locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Notably, they observed an unforeseen occurrence of the ruthenium isotope known as ¹⁰⁰Ru.
The crucial term here is “unexpected.” Despite the presence of \(^{100}\)Ru in Earth’s mantle, it is somewhat more prevalent than initially thought.
inside of the core
—in line with 99.999 percent of the planet’s gold and other valuable metals. This is due to the fact that approximately 4.5 billion years ago, when our planet was forming, part of the ruthenium present in Earth’s core came from a distinct origin compared to the minor quantity currently found in the mantle. These two types of ruthenium differ only slightly, making them difficult for geologists’ instruments to differentiate.
Recently, however, scientists at Göttingen University in the Netherlands devised innovative isotopic analysis techniques that enabled them to achieve this very thing. By distinguishing between various forms of the same isotope, the research team found that certain Hawaiian volcanic basalts exhibit an exceptionally elevated level of ¹⁰⁰Ru, indicating that they likely came from regions close to the core-mantle boundary.
The consequences are substantial: parts of Earth’s core, previously considered unreachable, are thrust upwards toward the surface in modest quantities during volcanic eruptions.
“We can now demonstrate that massive amounts of extremely heated mantle material—a few hundred quadrillion metric tons of rock—come from the core-mantle border and ascend to the Earth’s surface, forming oceanic islands such as Hawaii,” said study co-author Matthias Wilbold.
The question now isn’t
if
This unforeseen procedure occurs—it’s a matter of
if and when
It has occurred previously.
“Our discoveries provide a completely fresh viewpoint on the evolution of the internal movements within our home planet,” Messling added.
