A reservoir of gold lies hidden in Earth’s core. Scientists say it’s leaking

A startling scientific breakthrough reveals Earth’s molten core isn’t the sealed vault we imagined. A vast, hidden reservoir of gold and other precious metals is slowly leaking into the mantle, eventually reaching the surface through volcanic activity, a new study suggests.

For years, most of Earth’s gold and platinum were thought to be permanently locked in the core. However, analysis of Hawaiian basaltic rocks, formed from deep Earth magma, indicates a “leaking core.” These findings provide strong evidence for a long-suspected interaction between the core and the overlying mantle.

Nils Messling, lead author of the study published in Nature, states, “We have the first very strong evidence that some of the core is actually ending up in the mantle.” This implies that the over 99.95% of Earth’s gold hidden in the core might not be entirely out of reach, geologically speaking.

Scientists traced this leak by analyzing ruthenium, a rare metal with similar behavior to gold. A specific ruthenium isotope, abundant when the core formed but scarce in the mantle, was found in Hawaiian volcanic rocks. Its presence signals that material, including gold, is migrating from the core. “The same with gold and platinum,” Messling notes, if ruthenium is leaking, so are these other precious metals.

While the amount of gold leaking at any given time is minuscule and direct extraction from the core is impossible, this continuous, billion-year process could subtly influence the distribution of precious metals in Earth’s crust over eons. It suggests some mined gold may have originated from this deep reservoir.

Experts like Jesse Reimink from Pennsylvania State University agree: “This study really does seem to nail the conclusion — the core does contribute some material to the mantle.”

This groundbreaking discovery reshapes our understanding of Earth’s internal dynamics and the origins of its valuable natural resources. The planet’s deep gold hoard isn’t entirely static; it’s part of a slow, continuous geological cycle, hinting at a world still actively forming and sharing its deepest treasures.