Forget Fort Knox. The rare, yellow metal that have driven people all over the world crazy since the the dawn of time isn't so rare after all. According to Australian researchers, if all the gold at the center of the planet bubbled to the surface, its entire surface would be covered up to 1.5 feet high.
Geologist and Macquarie University professor Bernard Wood says the Earth's "magma ocean" reacted with metals in the "planetesimals" (comet and meteorite dust) during the planet's development. The reaction extracted many of the most important elements like gold and eventually deposited in the Earth's iron-rich core.
Based on the comparison of the Earth's crust with that of meteorites (representing the planetisimals), Wood' says "more than 99% of the Earth's gold is in the core." Wood adds, "It's a nice image to think we could all step outside and be knee-deep in the stuff."
Read full report:
http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1663566.htm
