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 initial findings were reported, we realized we had indeed hit the jackpot! Our data showed that materials from the Earth’s core, such as gold and other valuable metals, are infiltrating the mantle above,” Messling explained.
The presence of precious metals in volcanic rock suggests either that these rocks originate from deep within the Earth’s core or that such materials are starting to seep out. (USGS)
“Our results demonstrate that the Earth’s core is less isolated than we once believed. Moreover, we can now confirm that immense quantities of super-heated mantle material—equivalent to several hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of rock—rise from the core-mantle boundary and reach the Earth’s surface, forming ocean islands such as Hawaii,” said Professor Matthias Willbold in a press 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.
The gold and ruthenium were found in volcanic rock in Hawaii. (iStock)
“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.
Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.
