Volcanic gold discovered in Hawaii may have come directly from Earth’s core

By Eric Ralls – earth.com

Hidden beneath the thick crust and scorching layers deep inside our Earth lies an immense stash of precious metals. Scientists have long believed these riches, which include gold and ruthenium, remain stuck near the core-mantle boundary, a zone that is about 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) underground.

Yet new findings indicate some of these metals are edging upward through volcanic eruptions on islands like Hawaii. Observations show traces of ruthenium in Hawaiian lava that hint at a slow leak from Earth’s deepest interior.