Researchers at Göttingen University in Germany have announced the discovery of precious metals, including gold, in volcanic rocks from Hawaii. This finding offers new insights into the Earth’s inner dynamics and the origins of certain materials that reach the planet’s surface.
A team from the university’s Department of Geochemistry studied volcanic rocks that originated from deep within the Earth, beyond the lithosphere. These rocks were found to contain traces of gold and ruthenium—metals typically locked far beneath the Earth’s surface. According to Dr. Nils Messling, the research team was not expecting to find such materials.
In a statement released by the university, he 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.”
The majority of Earth’s gold, approximately 99%, is believed to be buried deep within its metallic core, located nearly 1,800 miles beneath the surface. Traditionally, scientists have considered this gold and other core materials unreachable due to the extreme depth and pressure. However, the new findings suggest that materials from the core may be making their way to the surface through volcanic activity.
#Traces of ruthenium in Hawaiian #VolcanicRocks indicate that gold and other #PreciousMetals from Earth’s core can reach the surface, challenging assumptions about the core’s isolation. @unigoettingen @nature https://t.co/tzVywenr6B https://t.co/D5jnEKJcIQ
— Phys.org (@physorg_com) May 23, 2025
A key part of the study was the detection of ruthenium isotopes. Ruthenium, a rare metal often found alongside gold in geological formations, serves as a critical marker for scientists. The isotopes of ruthenium found in the volcanic rocks from Hawaii differ slightly from those found near the Earth’s surface. Although the differences are small, the research team at Göttingen University developed new procedures to detect them. This innovation allowed the team to trace the origin of the rocks more accurately.
Professor Matthias Willbold, another member of the research team, emphasized the broader implications of the discovery. “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,” Willbold stated in the release.
The research suggests that super-heated material from the boundary between the Earth’s core and mantle is capable of transporting metals and other substances toward the surface. This process may have contributed to the formation of ocean islands and may also have played a role in the distribution of minerals on the planet over time.
Dr. Messling noted that while the current data provides a compelling case, more research is needed. “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,” he added.
The discovery holds potential implications not only for geology but also for understanding the origins of resources used in modern technologies. As certain rare metals are essential for renewable energy and high-tech devices, knowing where and how they come to the surface could influence future exploration and resource management strategies.
