A team of researchers has discovered traces of ruthenium in Hawaiian volcanic rocks, suggesting that material from the Earth's core is leaking into the mantle.

The University of Göttingen has identified tiny traces of ruthenium with a unique isotopic composition in volcanic rocks in Hawaii, indicating that these materials originate from the Earth's metallic core. This discovery, made using an innovative detection method, confirms that precious metals, including gold, migrate from the core into the mantle. The study suggests that supplies of metals essential for renewable energy could come from deep inside the Earth, and the researchers plan to investigate whether these processes have occurred in the past.