Latest news with #MatthiasWillbold
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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)
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First Post
3 days ago
- Science
- First Post
Is Earth's core leaking gold and other precious metals to the surface?
A new study in Nature reveals that Earth's core may not be sealed shut after all. German geochemists have discovered traces of core-derived precious metals like ruthenium in volcanic rocks from Hawaii — suggesting gold and other elements may be slowly seeping up from deep within the planet read more A woman and her daughter touch a structural model of the earth's core at Nanjing Geological Museum in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, April 22, 2011. The Chinese characters on the model read "outer core". Representational Image/Reuters Scientists have found robust suggesting that Earth's inner core, long considered completely sealed off, is slowly releasing gold and other precious metals into the layers above. This revelation comes from a detailed isotope study of volcanic rocks, specifically basalt samples from Hawaii, which shows that some of the world's most valuable elements may have originated not just from meteorites or the planet's mantle, but from the very centre of Earth itself. Geochemists from the University of Göttingen in Germany, including Nils Messling and Matthias Willbold, have published their findings in the scientific journal Nature, revealing how specific isotopes act as tracers for material that originated in Earth's metallic core. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Earth's core is seen as a hidden reservoir For decades, scientists have known that the overwhelming majority of Earth's gold — along with elements like platinum, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium — is not found in the crust or even the upper mantle, but locked away in the core, buried beneath nearly 3,000 kilometres of dense rock. This concentration of heavy elements occurred during Earth's early years, over 4.5 billion years ago, when the planet's internal structure began to differentiate. Heavier elements sank toward the centre during a process known as the iron catastrophe, leaving the outer layers comparatively depleted. Also Watch: According to estimates, the quantity of gold sequestered in the core is so vast that, if extracted and spread evenly over the land surface, it could cover every continent with a 50-centimetre-thick layer of gold. Yet, until recently, this immense subterranean reserve was believed to be geologically unreachable and completely cut off from the crust. That assumption has now been upended. How scientists tracked core-derived isotopes in volcanic rock The Göttingen researchers focused on analysing isotopic compositions in rocks formed from deep-Earth magmatic activity. They targeted ruthenium, a rare and heavy element that exhibits subtle isotopic differences depending on its source. These differences had previously been too minute to distinguish. But by refining their laboratory techniques, the team was able to detect and compare ruthenium isotopes with unprecedented precision. Using samples from basaltic lava flows in the Hawaiian islands — an area known for volcanic activity stemming from deep mantle plumes — the researchers discovered an elevated concentration of the isotope ruthenium-100. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This variant is consistent with material originating from Earth's core, as opposed to the surface or upper mantle. 'Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth's mantle above,' said Nils Messling, one of the lead authors of the study. 'When the first results came in, we realised that we had literally struck gold!' The core-derived signature in the volcanic rock was not limited to ruthenium. It suggests that other siderophile elements — those with an affinity for iron and which bonded with it in the early, molten Earth — may also be part of the upward movement from core to mantle, and eventually, to the crust. How core material reaches the surface The study provides compelling evidence that deep mantle upwellings — also called mantle plumes — transport material from near the core-mantle boundary to the surface. These massive columns of superheated rock rise through the mantle and erupt through oceanic crust to form volcanic islands such as those in Hawaii. 'We can now also prove that huge volumes of superheated mantle material—several hundred quadrillion metric tons of rock—originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to the Earth's surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii,' said study co-author Matthias Willbold. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: The volume and force of this process are immense, although it happens over geological timescales spanning millions of years. The volcanic rocks that emerge during these eruptions carry chemical and isotopic clues from the depths, making them natural record-keepers of Earth's internal dynamics. What this means for future research The discovery opens new avenues for understanding how Earth's internal systems have evolved over billions of years. Prior to this discovery, the prevailing understanding among Earth scientists was that the planet's core, encased beneath the solid silicate mantle and crust, was an isolated and chemically inert reservoir. The new research not only confirms that elements like ruthenium and possibly gold are slowly migrating upward, but it also introduces the use of isotopic 'tracers' to monitor and quantify this migration in future studies. Ruthenium, in particular, may serve as a powerful tool for understanding the interactions between Earth's layers. 'Precious metals such as ruthenium are highly concentrated in the metallic core but extremely depleted in the silicate mantle,' the researchers wrote in their study. While many of Earth's surface metals were believed to have arrived via meteorite bombardment during the early years of the solar system, this study shows that at least some of those metals may have originated from within the planet itself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet,' the researchers concluded. While practical access to these deeply buried resources remains impossible with current technology, the scientific insight gained from these findings may influence everything from geochemistry to planetary science. This revelation also has implications beyond Earth. If core leakage of precious metals is possible here, similar processes may occur on other rocky planets. Though no gold rush will result from this research, its value lies in the new understanding it offers about Earth's inner mechanics. Also Watch: With input from agencies
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
A German university, Göttingen University, has literally "struck gold" in recent findings from volcanic rocks. A new study of these volcanic rocks from Hawaii, that leaked out from deep under the lithosphere, contained various precious metals. Dr. Nils Messling of the Göttingen University's Department of Geochemistry said in a news release they were surprised when the test results came in. "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 the Earth's mantle above," Messling said. Largest Gold Deposit In The World Worth $83 Billion Found In China Approximately 99% of the Earth's gold is buried deep in the Earth's Metallic Core, far out of humankind's reach. Read On The Fox News App The gold is currently buried about 1,800 miles deep in the core. The discovery of this ruthenium, which was formed and locked down with gold, might be a telling sign that these volcanic rocks are coming from deep within the Earth. Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts With 1,000-Foot 'Lava Fountaining' "Our findings not only show that the Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed. 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," said Professor Matthias Willbold in a news release. There is a way to test for isotopes of ruthenium, especially when differences are small variations of the same element. The isotopes of ruthenium in the Earth's core are slightly different from those on the surface, with the difference being too small to really detect. However, new procedures developed by researchers at the University of Göttingen have made it possible. "Whether these processes that we observe today have also been operating in the past remains to be proven. Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet," Messling said in a statement. With these precious metals beginning to leak to the Earth's surface, it could suggest that the supplies of gold and others important for renewable energy came from the Earth's article source: Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
Fox News
3 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
A German university, Göttingen University, has literally "struck gold" in recent findings from volcanic rocks. A new study of these volcanic rocks from Hawaii, that leaked out from deep under the lithosphere, contained various precious metals. Dr. Nils Messling of the Göttingen University's Department of Geochemistry said in a news release they were surprised when the test results came in. "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 the Earth's mantle above," Messling said. Approximately 99% of the Earth's gold is buried deep in the Earth's Metallic Core, far out of humankind's reach. The gold is currently buried about 1,800 miles deep in the core. The discovery of this ruthenium, which was formed and locked down with gold, might be a telling sign that these volcanic rocks are coming from deep within the Earth. "Our findings not only show that the Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed. 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," said Professor Matthias Willbold in a news release. There is a way to test for isotopes of ruthenium, especially when differences are small variations of the same element. The isotopes of ruthenium in the Earth's core are slightly different from those on the surface, with the difference being too small to really detect. However, new procedures developed by researchers at the University of Göttingen have made it possible. "Whether these processes that we observe today have also been operating in the past remains to be proven. Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet," Messling said in a statement. With these precious metals beginning to leak to the Earth's surface, it could suggest that the supplies of gold and others important for renewable energy came from the Earth's core.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
The Earth Is Leaking Gold: Scientists Stunned To Find Precious Metals Emerging From Core
A groundbreaking study of Hawaiian volcanic rocks shows that Earth's core is leaking gold and other precious metals to the surface. It's estimated that over 99.99% of the Earth's gold and precious metals, such as Ruthenium, are trapped in the metallic core, buried beneath 3,000km of solid rock, Science Alert reported. These valuable resources have been locked away since the planet's formation 4.5 billion years ago. The research has been published in Nature. Recently, a team from the University of Gottingen conducted a study on Hawaiian volcanic rocks, employing advanced isotopic analysis techniques to detect trace elements. They found unusually high levels of a specific ruthenium isotope, which is more prevalent in the Earth's core than its mantle. This suggests that the lava material originated from deep within the planet. "When the first results came in, we realised that we had literally struck gold! Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth's mantle above," says geochemist Nils Messling of Gottingen University in Germany. The study shows that Earth's core is less isolated than previously thought, with core material reaching the surface during volcanic eruptions, offering future research opportunities. Ruthenium isotopes could serve as a novel tracer for studying core-mantle interactions, according to the researchers. The analysis indicates that hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of superheated material from near the core-mantle boundary rise to form ocean islands like Hawaii. Professor Matthias Willbold, co-author of the study, emphasised the significance of the findings: "Our findings not only show that Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed. We can now also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material, several hundred quadrillion metric tons of rock, originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to Earth's surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii." The study's findings ALSO suggest that some of the world's gold and precious metal supplies may have originated from the Earth's core. However, researchers are still unsure if the core-leaking process observed in the study has been a consistent phenomenon throughout the planet's history. "Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet," the study noted.
