Earth's core contains enough gold to cover the entire planet in a 1.5-foot-thick layer.

Research published in the journal Nature by scientists from the University of Bristol suggests that Earth's gold is concentrated in its core due to a process called planetary differentiation. Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, during the planet's molten stage, heavy metals like iron and nickel sank toward the center. Because gold is a siderophile or iron-loving element, it dissolved into the molten iron and was carried deep into the interior.Geologists estimate that the core contains more than 1.6 quadrillion tons of gold. This staggering amount represents roughly 99 percent of the Earth's total gold inventory. If this precious metal were brought to the surface, it would form a shimmering layer approximately 1.5 feet (0.45 meters) thick across every continent and ocean floor. This depth is calculated based on the known volume of the core and the density of gold.The gold we find in the Earth's crust today did not come from the original formation process. According to a study led by Dr. Matthias Willbold, a late veneer of meteorites hit the Earth about 3.9 billion years ago during the Late Heavy Bombardment. these impacts delivered approximately 20 billion billion tons of asteroid material, which included the gold and platinum currently found in reachable mines. Without this secondary delivery, the Earth's surface would be entirely devoid of precious metals.