Earth's Core Leak Discovered

New studies of rocks from the Hawaiian Islands are forcing scientists to reconsider traditional ideas about Earth's internal structure. As reported by Zakon.kz, geochemists have found convincing evidence that material from the Earth's core can rise to the surface with magma - contrary to previous notions about the isolation of the core.

According to Forrest Horton, a geochemist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA), the analysis results may lead to a revision of the entire history of mantle formation and Earth as a whole, reports Naukatv.ru.

Previously, scientists had already found hints of the presence of core material in volcanic rocks, for example, in samples from Baffin Island, where they discovered unusual ratios of helium and tungsten isotopes. However, those data remained ambiguous.

In the new study, published in the journal Nature, scientists focused on ruthenium - a rare metal that is mainly concentrated in the core. The Hawaiian rock samples contained isotopic ratios of ruthenium (100, 101, and 102) that differ from those characteristic of the Earth's crust. This confirms that the material could have risen from the depths of the mantle, and possibly from the core boundary.

The analysis methodology was improved by geochemist Nils Messling from the University of Göttingen, achieving the ability to detect the slightest traces of ruthenium in samples.

Scientists believe that these data correspond to ideas about Earth's formation: the core formed more than 4 billion years ago, while the mantle and crust were affected by meteorite bombardment, which influenced their isotopic composition. The differences in isotopes between the planet's layers confirm the deep origin of the studied materials.

According to researchers, the rising magmatic flow likely begins at the boundary between the mantle and core. Horton considers the obtained data convincing, although he notes the need for further confirmation from other hotspots on the planet.