Earth's Core Holds Vast Gold Reservoir Leaking Surface ScienceAlert Hawaii's Rocks Prove Earth Core Leaks Gold CNN

On May 21, 2025, a study published in Nature revealed that there is a vast reservoir of gold in Earth's core, and it is leaking toward the surface. This finding comes from researchers at Göttingen University, led by geochemist Nils Messling, who analyzed volcanic rocks from Hawaii. The study suggests that more than 99% of Earth's gold is in the core, and a small amount is slowly making its way to the crust through the mantle.

The Study and Its Findings

The research focused on basaltic rocks from Hawaii, obtained from the Smithsonian Institution, totaling half a kilogram (1.1 pounds). The analysis revealed higher amounts of the ruthenium-100 isotope, which is characteristic of the Earth's core, suggesting that gold and other precious metals like ruthenium, palladium, rhodium, and platinum are leaking from the core into the mantle. The core-mantle boundary is about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) deep, and the study estimates that several hundred quadrillion metric tons of super-heated mantle material rise from this boundary to form ocean islands like Hawaii.

Implications and Geological Insights

The study suggests that this leaking process has been ongoing for geological timescales, potentially replenishing Earth's gold supply over 4.5 billion years, though the amount per rock is minuscule. Dr. Nils Messling noted, "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." Co-researcher Matthias Willbold added, "Our findings not only show that the Earth’s core is not as isolated as previously assumed."

Public and Scientific Reaction

Turning to social platforms, X posts from users like @BrianRoemmele

highlight significant interest, with thousands of views and favorites, reflecting public fascination. Posts mention the study’s discovery through volcanic activity and quote researchers, indicating broad acceptance and curiosity.

Detailed Breakdown in Table Form

To organize our thoughts, let's look at a table summarizing key details:

Detail	Information
Study Publication Date	May 21, 2025
Journal	Nature, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09003-0
Lead Author	Nils Messling, geochemist, University of Göttingen
Coauthor	Matthias Willbold, professor, University of Göttingen
Study Focus	Analysis of Hawaii’s basaltic rocks for core-mantle interaction
Gold in Earth's Core	More than 99.95% of Earth's gold is in the molten core
Rock Sample Source	Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Rock Sample Amount	Half a kilogram (1.1 pounds)
Analyzed Element	Ruthenium, part of the platinum group (platinum, rhodium, palladium, etc.)
Core Layers	Solid inner core (759 miles/1,221 km radius), liquid outer core (1,400 miles/2,253 km thick)
Mantle Thickness	1,800 miles (2,897 km) of mostly solid rock
Leaking Process Duration	500 million to 1 billion years
Additional References	Previous work: https://www.geochemicalperspectivesletters.org/article1917/

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