Core Insights - A study published on May 21 in "Nature" challenges traditional views of Earth's structure, suggesting that material from the dense metallic core is leaking outward and being pushed to the surface by hot magma plumes [1] - The research provides compelling evidence for rethinking the geochemical understanding of the mantle and Earth's history, according to geochemist Forrest Horton from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [1] Group 1: Research Findings - Analysis of rocks from the Hawaiian Islands indicates that helium-3 levels are significantly higher than typical helium-4 levels, suggesting a possible source from about 2900 kilometers below the surface, where the core and mantle meet [1] - The study focuses on ruthenium, a rare metal known to be concentrated in the core, to find more convincing evidence of material exchange between the core and mantle [2] - The isotopic characteristics of ruthenium in Hawaiian rock samples differ significantly from those observed in other crustal regions, aligning with expectations about Earth's geological history [2] Group 2: Methodology and Implications - The research team improved techniques for extracting trace amounts of ruthenium from rock samples and utilized mass spectrometry for analysis, capturing signals that previous methods could not detect [2] - The findings support the idea that magma plumes carrying material to the surface originate at the core-mantle boundary, although Horton cautions that it is premature to completely rule out other explanations [2]