In a recent scientific development at the University of Gottingen in Germany, it was revealed that precious metals like gold and ruthenium are coming out from deep inside the Earth to its surface through volcanic activity. Chemical signatures depicting traces of core material in the eruptions have been detected by the scientists after studying lava from Hawaiian volcanoes such as Kīlauea and Lo‘ihi.
The study suggests that only tiny amounts make it to the surface, but it is speculated that the core of the Earth contains up to 30 billion tons of gold, worth roughly €2.77 trillion. That means small leaks through the eruption provide a glimpse into the richest and most inaccessible layers of the planet, according to a report by TOI.
The research also includes a vast quantity of gold that the core of the Earth includes. The trace amounts that reach the surface in lava flows offer scientists a rare view into the deepest layers of the planet. “We’re talking about traces, not nuggets,” says Matthias Willbold, a co-author of the study.
Current technology is inefficient for mining: scientists
These findings indicated to the researchers that current technology is not efficient enough to mine the core of the Earth, but it helps in understanding the planet’s composition and the processes shaping its interior over billions of years.
In order to discover these deep-Earth materials, scientists focused on ocean island basalts, volcanic rocks formed by hot mantle plumes rising from near the core of the Earth. Another metal, Ruthenium, a metal densely found in the core, acts as a chemical fingerprint.
Elevated levels of the 100Ru isotope in lava signify that a fraction of less than 0.3 per cent of core material can reach the surface. This provides strong and clear evidence that the core is not completely isolated from the rest of the planet, as was earlier believed.