If we extracted all the gold that sits at earth core, we could gold plate our Planet to a depth of 45cm (18in). However, it is rather hard to reach, at 2,800km(1,740mi) below our feet, where temperatures are upwards of 4,000c(7,200F). So it might be cooler and more effective to prospect the ocean. Every litter(1.75pints) of sea water contains around 13 billionths of gram of gold, adding up a total of 20 million tons of gold – more than three times the weight of the Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt.
DID YOU KNOW?
At the bottom of the deepest
gold mines, some 3.9 km (2.4 mi)
below Earth’s surface, the rock
can reach 60°C (140°F). Each ton
of rock yields less than a sugar
cube-sized amount of gold.
DID YOU KNOW?
Iron, the most common
element and bulk of Earth’s
inner core, gives our planet its
strong magnetic field. Silicates
– oxygen-silicon compounds
– are the most abundant
minerals, making up
about 95% of the crust.
