A volcano is leaking gold from the Earth’s core — but there’s a catch: nearly all of it is out of reach

According to scientists, about 99% of the Earth’s gold is buried deep within the planet’s metallic core — far beyond human reach. But researchers from the University of Göttingen in Germany have confirmed that a Hawaiian volcano contains gold in its volcanic rocks, though the source remains inaccessible to humans as it originates from the Earth’s core.

The fact that this gold comes from such extreme depths only reinforces theories about Earth’s origin and formation. “Our findings not only show that the Earth’s core isn’t as isolated as previously thought,” said Professor Matthias Willbold. “We can now also demonstrate that vast amounts of superheated mantle material — several hundred trillion metric tons of rock — originate at the boundary between the core and the mantle and rise to the surface to form oceanic islands like Hawaii.”

If precious metals like this begin to leak to the Earth’s surface, it could suggest that supplies of gold and other key metals crucial for renewable energy may originate from the Earth’s core — potentially sparking new discoveries and research into how such resources might eventually be accessed.

But now another issue arises: does anyone actually own the Earth’s core? In theory, no. The Earth’s core doesn’t belong to any individual or nation in terms of property rights — especially since it remains completely inaccessible. It’s a natural part of the planet, composed mainly of iron and nickel.

Legally, under international law (such as the Outer Space Treaty, which is sometimes applied by analogy), no country or person can claim ownership of the Earth’s interior beyond their sovereign territory. From a scientific perspective, the core is simply a part of the planet we study to understand its structure, magnetic field, and evolution.