Nature Journal Publishes: Ruthenium Isotopes Detected In Hawaii Lava Prove Precious Metals Leak From Earth’s Core; Gold Confirmed In Core
GÖTTINGEN, Germany – The long-standing scientific debate regarding where our planet’s most precious metals are stored has been largely settled by groundbreaking research conducted by German scientists. A research team from the University of Göttingen analyzed ruthenium isotopes—a rare element—detected in Hawaiian lava, proving that the vast majority of all gold and platinum-group metals (PGMs) on the Earth’s surface are, in fact, locked within the planet’s core. These significant findings were published in the prestigious science journal, Nature.
🌑 WHY WAS THERE SO LITTLE GOLD ON THE SURFACE?
Scientists have long theorized that during Earth’s formation, dense elements like gold, along with iron, should have sunk to the planet’s center (the core). However, the actual amount of gold and platinum found on the surface was theoretically much higher than expected.
- The Missing Gold Theory: The new study doesn’t solve the mystery of where this “excess” surface gold came from, but it strongly supports the hypothesis that Gold Confirmed In Core. According to the research, an estimated 99.999% of all gold in our planet is located in the iron-rich core.
- Evidence of Leaking to Surface: The Göttingen team proved that the surface material rich in these precious metals is constantly being enriched by matter rising from the Earth’s deeper mantle, specifically via lava eruptions.
🧪 RUTHENIUM ISOTOPES SOLVE THE MYSTERY
The researchers meticulously analyzed deep-mantle lava samples sourced from Hawaii.
- Rare Element: The team focused on analyzing the isotopes of the rare element ruthenium (Ru) in these lavas. Ruthenium is part of the platinum group and shares similar geochemical properties with gold.
- Proof Mechanism: The analysis revealed that the composition of these ruthenium isotopes carries a unique signature indicating they originated from the deepest parts of the Earth, specifically the core-mantle boundary. Therefore, these isotopes provide concrete evidence that precious metals locked in the core occasionally “leak” into the mantle and subsequently reach the surface via volcanoes.
🌏 SOURCES ONCE UNIMAGINABLE
The excitement within the scientific community is palpable, reflected in the words of Federica Loiacono, the INAF researcher involved in the discovery: “Similar to the discoveries of the JWST, this study reveals that there are objects and sources in the geochemistry of the Earth that we didn’t even suspect existed.”
The Gold Confirmed In Core thesis scientifically validates that Earth’s metal core is not just a giant magnet, but also the planet’s single richest reservoir of precious metals.
