Scientists catch Earth's core leaking gold toward the surface
The world's largest stash of gold isn't at Fort Knox: It's locked away in Earth's core.
Now, new research from Göttingen University in Germany suggests that some gold might be leaking from the core into the mantle and the crust, bringing it another step closer in the long, and slow, upward journey to the surface.
The findings, published this month in the journal Nature, trace the precious metal Ruthenium (Ru) in volcanic rocks from Hawaii back to the core-mantle boundary, which lies more than 3,000 kilometres underground.
Most of Earth's gold and other precious metals like platinum and palladium are believed to have sunk into the metallic core during the planet's early, molten days.
We can access gold from Earth's crust, but what lies there represents only 1 per cent of the total quantity of gold on the planet.
More than 99 per cent of it is thought to be in the core.
If that 99 per cent were placed on the surface, there would be enough to blanket all the land on Earth in a half-metre layer of gold.
The authors of the new study say tiny differences in isotopes hold clues about when deep-earth elements appear closer to the surface. One isotope, 100Ru, is found in higher concentrations in the core than in the mantle. Using refined techniques, researchers detected high levels of 100Ru in Hawaiian lava samples.
'When the first results came in, we realized that we had literally struck gold!" says Dr. Nils Messling from the university's Department of Geochemistry, in a statement.
"Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth's mantle above.'
The discovery challenges the assumption the planet's core is geochemically sealed off from the surrounding mantle and suggests some of the core's metal-rich contents leak upwards.
But don't expect a gold rush anytime soon. Digging 2,900 km down to access the minerals isn't realistic, but the paper does offer new insight into what goes on deep underground.
The findings suggest all siderophile elements, i.e., those that prefer to bond with iron and were drawn into the core early in Earth's formation, may be gradually leaking out. That includes ruthenium, gold, platinum, rhodium, and palladium.
'Our findings not only show that the Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed,' says Professor Matthias Willbold, also of the Department of Geochemistry, in the same statement.
'We can now also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material – several hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of rock – originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to the Earth's surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii.'
This research not only adds to our understanding of Earth's interior but could also reshape what we know about the evolution of other rocky planets across the solar system.
Header image: Graphic representation of Earth's shell structure showing the super-heated metallic inner core in the centre, followed by the solid outer core, the rocky mantle and the thin crust towards the surface. New research from the University of Göttingen demonstrates that some precious metal-rich material from the core is leaking into the Earth's mantle above. University of Göttingen/ (OpenAI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Powerful pill can reveal what's going on in your gut — thanks to miniature sensors
Time to swallow your feelings. It's no secret that gut health is being treated like the ultimate biohack these days, as ongoing research shows your digestive system impacts your skin, immune system, energy levels and even your mood. Studies have even found links between the gut and Parkinson's, colon cancer and other conditions, with doctors routinely recommending people get more fiber in their diets. Researchers at Caltech have developed a capsule that can measure your gut health. T Mdlungu/ – So it might be no surprise that the geniuses over at Caltech have invented a tiny pill called PillTrek that's lined with electrochemical sensors that measure pH, temperature, metabolites, ions — even serotonin and dopamine — right in your gut. The pill is itty-bitty — measuring 7 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters in length — but it packs a powerful punch. 'We designed this pill to be a very versatile platform,' Wei Gao, a professor of medical engineering at Caltech and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, said in a press release. 'From an electrochemical-sensing point of view, it is very powerful. It has the ability to measure metabolites, ions, hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, possibly even proteins as well. And all within the gut, which is a complex environment.' The PillTrek smart capsule measures just 7 millimeters in diameter and 25 millimeters in length. Jihong Min and Wei Gao Current gut tests rely on messy stool samples or pricey, invasive biopsies — and offer only snapshot insights. Conversely, this smart capsule offers a window into a future where assessing your gut health — which is also a marker of overall health and a good way of detecting diseases early — can be relatively easy. 'Ingestible capsules have significant potential in diagnosis, monitoring and management of chronic conditions, but previous devices were very limited in terms of their sensing capabilities, lifetime, and size,' said Azita Emami, who is working with Gao to make the pill even smaller and more energy-efficient. 'This work is an important translational step toward devices that can provide meaningful medical information for patients and physicians.' Researchers outlined the pill in a paper published in the journal Nature.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Researchers warn of catastrophic consequences from rapidly intensifying threat: 'As a species, we have never confronted anything like this'
Sustained higher-than-average temperatures and warming seas are projected to severely disrupt agriculture, CNN reports, and scientists are concerned about how to "ensure future food security" in a changing climate. Americans born today could "live in a world where the U.S. can only produce half as much of its key food crops," CNN's recent headline read. The ensuing reporting focused on a groundbreaking study recently published in Nature — one of the most widely cited scientific journals globally — and the outlet described its findings as "stark." Study authors examined the impacts of rising temperatures through a universally understood and relevant lens: the global food supply. Put plainly, the researchers' calculations were grim: Every 1°C (1.8°F) increase in average global temperatures will result in a worldwide reduction in food production equivalent to 120 fewer calories per person, per day. Study author Solomon Hsiang of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability broke it down further when discussing their findings. "If the climate warms by 3 degrees, that's basically like everyone on the planet giving up breakfast," Hsiang warned. It's well-documented that climate-related matters are routinely and misleadingly cast in doubt, framed as a matter of belief rather than settled science. Not everybody lives in a region routinely walloped by extreme weather — such as wildfires or increased coastal flooding — and the issue can seem abstract, localized elsewhere, or more of a problem for the distant future. However, food is a great equalizer, something all humans require to survive — farmers have long been ringing the alarm about the impacts of unpredictable weather and temperatures on crop yields. Professor and food policy expert Tim Lang told CNN that adaptations to fortify the global food supply are halting and insufficient. "The data pile up. The politicians turn a blind eye … Land use is not altering fast or radically enough," he lamented, addressing the speed at which agriculture is adapting to changes in the climate. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This is a major problem. It's incredibly expensive. As a species, we have never confronted anything like this." Experts reiterated that "adaptation" and "mitigation" were critical steps to safeguard crops in an increasingly unpredictable climate, one in which the United States could lose half its crop yields. Growing your own food is one approach to guard against food supply instability at a personal level, whereas donating to climate-related causes is a good way to make a broader impact. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
James Webb Discovers First-Ever Exoplanet by Taking a Picture of It
Scientists harnessing NASA's James Webb Space Telescope took what appears to be the first-ever direct picture of an exoplanet resulting in its discovery, in yet another accomplishment for the mighty space observatory. An international team of astronomers published a paper on the historic finding in the prestigious journal Nature. "If confirmed, this would represent Webb's first direct image discovery of a planet," they wrote of the finding, "and the lightest planet ever seen with this technique outside the solar system." The planet, dubbed TWA 7 b, orbits a young star and appears to be about the size of Neptune. Though the James Webb has directly imaged other exoplanets previously, they were previously known to exist; in this case, in an apparent first-ever accomplishment, the act of capturing the picture also established the existence of the distant world. Since its launch in 2021, the James Webb has been at the forefront of many exciting space discoveries, from plumbing the depths of the early universe to investigating how our solar system was formed. It's able to do all this because it's the largest space telescope ever built, even bigger than Hubble Space Telescope, with a primary mirror measuring over 21 feet in diameter. TWA 7 b was difficult to detect due to the glare of the orbiting star, so the team developed a clever mechanism that mimics an eclipse in order to pick out any bodies that are lurking in the blinding light. The exoplanet orbits the star TWA 7, a relatively young red dwarf at 6.4 million years of age that sports a sizable debris field. "Here we're looking at a system that is about 6 [million] years old, so we are really witnessing the youth of the planetary system," Anne-Marie Lagrange, astrophysicist and first author of the paper, told The Guardian. More on exoplanets: An AI Identifies Where All Those Planets That Could Host Life Are Hiding
