A new study published in Nature reveals that gold deep in the Earth’s core can slowly rise to the surface, reshaping the understanding of gold in the Earth’s core and gold leakage.
Led by Nils Messling from the University of Göttingen, the research shows that small amounts of precious metals move from the core to the mantle over millions of years through volcanic processes.
How does gold leak from the Earth’s core?
The researchers studied volcanic rocks from Hawaii, where they found traces of ruthenium, a rare element normally found in the Earth’s core. This provided strong evidence that material from the core is slowly mixing into the mantle, a process that also explains gold leakage.
Scientists explain that the transfer process occurs through large plumes containing molten rock rising from the Earth’s interior. The plumes transport small amounts of heavy metals, including gold, to the Earth’s crust.
The relationship between gold and ruthenium allows researchers to establish both elements as chemically identical materials. The presence of gold on Earth today indicates that some of this material comes from the Earth’s core.
The study estimates that this gold leakage process could take between 500 million and a billion years. The planet’s composition will undergo changes due to extremely small amounts found in various locations on Earth.
The discovery introduces new scientific knowledge about how Earth’s core and mantle interact. The research creates new scientific questions about how the planet evolved and how the valuable metals first appeared.
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