{"id":480609,"date":"2026-10-20T05:36:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=480609"},"modified":"2026-10-20T05:36:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:36:20","slug":"earths-core-has-been-quietly-leaking-primordial-hydrogen-for-billions-of-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=480609","title":{"rendered":"Earth\u2019s Core Has Been Quietly Leaking Primordial Hydrogen for Billions of Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"485\" data-attachment-id=\"480610\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=480610\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1168,784\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;d40aa1e7-405a-40bc-ba98-e9876f888c80&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Signature: 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&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 Earth\u2019s Core Has Been Quietly Leaking Primordial Hydrogen for Billions of Years\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Signature: 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&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?fit=723%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?resize=723%2C485&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Illustration of Earth with a cross-section revealing a glowing core, surrounded by rocky layers and depicted energy flows.\" class=\"wp-image-480610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?resize=1024%2C687&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?resize=300%2C201&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?resize=768%2C516&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?resize=640%2C430&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">AI generated by Grok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A recent study (published in <em>Science Advances<\/em>) indicates that Earth\u2019s metallic core has been leaking primordial hydrogen, along with helium- 3 and certain tungsten isotopes, into the mantle for much of the planet\u2019s 4.5- billion- year history.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers from the <strong>University of Science<\/strong> and <strong>Technology of China <\/strong>used <strong>machine- learning- boosted path- integral simulations<\/strong> to model the quantum behavior of light atoms (especially hydrogen) under the <strong>extreme pressures and temperatures of the deep Earth<\/strong>. They focused on deuterium- to-hydrogen (D\/H) ratios and related isotope signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key points from the work and related coverage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Magma- ocean crystallization alone cannot explain the extremely low (deuterium- depleted) <strong>hydrogen isotope<\/strong> signatures seen in some <strong>ocean- island basalts (OIBs)<\/strong>, such as those from Baffin Island and Iceland. These lavas rise from near the core, mantle boundary and carry <strong>chemical \u201cmessengers\u201d from depth<\/strong>.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/earths-core-is-leaking-all-sorts-of-materials-that-have-been-trapped-since-our-planets-birth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Primordial (solar- nebula) hydrogen stored in the core preferentially partitions as the lighter isotope. As it migrates upward, it lowers the mantle\u2019s local D\/H ratio. Supporting evidence comes from high <strong>\u00b3He\/\u2074He ratios<\/strong> (primordial <strong>helium- 3 mixed with radiogenic helium- 4<\/strong>) and <strong>tungsten- isotope anomalies <\/strong>that also point to core material.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.world-today-news.com\/new-study-reveals-earths-core-is-leaking-primordial-materials-into-the-mantle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The hydrogen does not appear as free liquid water in the core; once it enters the <strong>oxygen- rich mantle <\/strong>it can form water bound in minerals. Over geologic time this exchange has dynamically altered the deep mantle\u2019s composition rather than leaving purely <strong>\u201crelic\u201d signatures<\/strong> from early differentiation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This builds on earlier experimental work (e.g., 2026 <em>Nature Communications<\/em> studies) showing the core itself may contain the equivalent of roughly 9- 45 oceans\u2019 worth of hydrogen (0.07- 0.36 wt %), acquired mainly during Earth\u2019s accretion rather than solely from later cometary delivery. Some of that reservoir appears to have been leaking upward for billions of years.<a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-02-earth-core-oceans-worth-hydrogen.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The quantities involved are tiny on human timescales, but the long-term chemical exchange helps explain observed isotope anomalies in surface rocks and improves models of Earth\u2019s volatile budget, mantle dynamics, and early water origins. The findings reinforce that the core- mantle boundary is not a perfect chemical barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"453\" data-attachment-id=\"480668\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=480668\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?fit=2100%2C1315&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2100,1315\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?fit=723%2C453&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=723%2C453&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Diagram illustrating the relationship between the Earth's mantle and distinct volcanic regions, showing OIBs (Ocean Island Basalts) and MORBs (Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts), along with the geochemical signatures of \u03b4D. The structure includes features such as LLSVP (Large Low Shear Velocity Province) and ULVZ (Ultra-Low Velocity Zone), highlighting areas of low D\/H ratios and core leakage effects.\" class=\"wp-image-480668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=1024%2C641&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=768%2C481&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=1536%2C962&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=2048%2C1282&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?resize=640%2C401&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-136.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Schematic model for the origin of isotopic anomalies in ocean island basalts. Credit: <em>Science Advances<\/em> (2026). DOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.aei4756<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hydrogen moves from Earth\u2019s core to the mantle primarily through limited chemical exchange and diffusion (or related transport) across the core, mantle boundary (CMB), rather than large- scale bulk flow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This process has operated over billions of years and is supported by isotope evidence (especially low \u03b4D values) in ocean- island basalts that rise from near the CMB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Key mechanisms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Chemical reactions and exchange at the CMB<\/strong><br>Subducted hydrous minerals can dehydrate in the lowermost mantle, releasing hydrogen (or water). This reacts with iron- silicon alloys from the outer core, forming phases such as iron hydride (FeH\u2093) or related compounds. The reaction enables bidirectional exchange: <strong>hydrogen can enter the mantle side while silicon (as SiO\u2082) may move the other way.<\/strong> A hydrogen- rich, lower- density layer can form near the top of the outer core or accumulate at the base of the mantle (potentially contributing to ultralow- velocity zones). Because of its low density, some of this hydrogen- rich material migrates into the lowermost mantle.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aei4756\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diffusion (including isotopic diffusion)<\/strong><br>Atomic diffusion of hydrogen across the CMB is a viable transfer route. <strong>Hydrogen is highly mobile under extreme pressures and temperatures<\/strong>. Even without strong concentration gradients, isotopic diffusion can transfer light (deuterium- depleted) hydrogen into the mantle if the core and mantle are not in isotopic equilibrium. Estimates of hydrogen diffusivity in lower- mantle minerals indicate that regions of tens of kilometers can be affected over geologic time.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adr2917\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Entrainment into mantle plumes<\/strong><br>Once hydrogen (or hydrogen- bearing material) reaches the lowermost mantle, it can be incorporated into upwelling mantle plumes. These plumes rise to the surface, carrying the core- derived isotopic signatures (low \u03b4D, high \u00b3He and \u2074He, tungsten anomalies, etc.) that appear in certain ocean- island basalts (e.g., Baffin Island, Iceland).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Important context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The core acquired much of its hydrogen early, during planetary accretion and metal, silicate differentiation (hydrogen preferentially partitions into the metallic phase and is isotopically light).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The quantities transferred are small on human timescales but accumulate over Earth\u2019s history, dynamically modifying deep- mantle isotope compositions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Solid- state diffusion of heavier elements is extremely slow in the lower mantle, so hydrogen\u2019s relative mobility makes it a more effective tracer of core- mantle interaction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Superionic states of iron hydride (where hydrogen atoms move fluid- like within a solid iron lattice) may also play a role near the CMB under the extreme conditions there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"542\" data-attachment-id=\"480696\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=480696\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?fit=1600%2C1200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?fit=723%2C542&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=723%2C542&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A stylized representation of a planet with a fiery red and orange surface, set against a black background.\" class=\"wp-image-480696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-137.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Volcanic_planet_5_r_1.png\">File:Volcanic planet 5 r 1.png &#8211; Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Tungsten isotope anomalies<\/em>, particularly involving the<em> isotope \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W<\/em>, are important geochemical tracers used to study early Earth differentiation and possible ongoing exchange between Earth\u2019s core and mantle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background: The \u00b9\u2078\u00b2Hf- \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W system<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00b9\u2078\u00b2Hf (hafnium- 182) is a short- lived radioactive isotope that decays to \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W (tungsten- 182) with a half- life of about 8.9 million years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During Earth\u2019s formation, <strong>tungsten (moderately siderophile and \u201ciron- loving\u201d)<\/strong> preferentially entered the metallic core, while <strong>hafnium (lithophile and \u201crock- loving\u201d) <\/strong>stayed in the silicate mantle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a result, the core developed a strongly negative \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W signature (estimated \u03bc\u00b9\u2078\u00b2W \u2248 \u2212200 to \u2212220), while the mantle became relatively enriched in \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u03bc\u00b9\u2078\u00b2W is the deviation of the \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W\/\u00b9\u2078\u2074W ratio from a terrestrial standard, measured in parts per million (ppm).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Observed anomalies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ancient rocks (Hadean- Archean, >2.7 billion years old) often show positive \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W anomalies (\u03bc\u00b9\u2078\u00b2W up to +15 to +20 ppm), reflecting the early mantle before significant later mixing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Modern <strong>ocean- island basalts (OIBs)<\/strong> from certain hotspots (Hawaii, Samoa, Iceland, R\u00e9union, Kerguelen, etc.) frequently show negative \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W anomalies (\u03bc\u00b9\u2078\u00b2W as low as \u221215 to \u221223 ppm). These are often correlated with <strong>high \u00b3He\/\u2074He ratios<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Interpretation in the context of core leakage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the recent research on hydrogen leakage from the core (and related studies), <strong>negative \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W anomalies <\/strong>are interpreted as evidence of core- derived material mixed into the lowermost mantle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even a small contribution (&lt;1%) of core material can shift the mantle\u2019s tungsten isotope ratio toward negative values because the core is so strongly depleted in \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proposed transfer mechanisms include isotopic diffusion across the core- mantle boundary or limited chemical exchange (without bulk entrainment of metal, which would also raise highly siderophile element concentrations, something not observed).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These tungsten anomalies often co- occur with other core- like signatures (high \u00b3He\/\u2074He, low \u03b4D hydrogen isotopes, and sometimes ruthenium isotope anomalies), supporting the idea of selective, long-term leakage of primordial components from the core into mantle plumes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Alternative explanations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some researchers argue the negative anomalies could instead reflect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Preservation of early silicate differentiation products (magma- ocean processes) isolated in the deep mantle for billions of years, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An overabundance of late- accreted (meteoritic) material.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the combination of negative \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W with other isotopic systems (helium, hydrogen, etc.) increasingly favors some form of core- mantle interaction for many plume sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, tungsten isotope anomalies act as a <strong>\u201cfingerprint\u201d<\/strong> of very early planetary differentiation and provide one of the key lines of evidence that Earth\u2019s core is not completely isolated from the mantle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"407\" data-attachment-id=\"479715\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=479715\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,576\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?fit=723%2C407&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?resize=723%2C407&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Illustration of molten lava inside the Earth, with bright red and orange hues representing magma and bubbles indicating gas release.\" class=\"wp-image-479715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-107.png?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scienmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stackrss-featured-15740.png\">https:\/\/scienmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stackrss-featured-15740.png<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hydrogen isotopes reveal water leakage from the core<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This is the open- access <em>Science Advances<\/em> paper (DOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.aei4756; published ~9 October 2026) titled <em>\u201cHydrogen isotopes reveal water leakage from the core\u201d<\/em>, by Yu Zhang, Wenzhong Wang (corresponding author, University of Science and Technology of China), Zhongqing Wu, and colleagues.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Main finding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Extremely low (deuterium- depleted) hydrogen isotope ratios (\u03b4D values as low as about \u2212144 \u2030) measured in some ocean- island basalts (OIBs), especially from Baffin Island, cannot be explained by crystallization of an early magma ocean. Instead, they are best accounted for by ongoing leakage of primordial, isotopically light hydrogen (and associated volatiles) from Earth\u2019s metallic core into the mantle over geologic time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Key methods and results<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The team used machine- learning- boosted path- integral molecular dynamics simulations to quantify hydrogen isotope fractionation under deep- Earth conditions, accounting for quantum effects important for the light hydrogen atom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They modeled magma- ocean crystallization (bridgmanite- melt partitioning, varying pressure, temperature, water content, and fractionation factors). The models produce an essentially homogeneous D\/H distribution in the primitive mantle; mineral- melt fractionation is too weak to generate the extreme depletions observed in OIBs.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/earths-core-is-leaking-all-sorts-of-materials-that-have-been-trapped-since-our-planets-birth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Observed low \u03b4D values, when combined with high \u00b3He\/\u2074He ratios, negative \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W anomalies, and other core- like signatures in the same plume systems, point to selective transfer of primordial volatiles across the core- mantle boundary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Light hydrogen that entered the core during accretion (preferentially partitioned into metal) continues to migrate upward. Once in the oxygen- rich mantle it can form water bound in minerals; the process has dynamically modified deep -mantle isotope signatures throughout Earth\u2019s history rather than preserving simple \u201crelic\u201d reservoirs from early differentiation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Broader implications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results support the idea that Earth\u2019s core is a long- term reservoir of hydrogen (consistent with separate experimental work estimating the equivalent of many oceans\u2019 worth of H in the core) and that core- mantle chemical exchange has been active for billions of years. This exchange helps explain isotope anomalies in surface rocks and contributes to models of Earth\u2019s water budget and mantle dynamics.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/earths-core-is-leaking-all-sorts-of-materials-that-have-been-trapped-since-our-planets-birth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2060<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The paper is open- access under a Creative Commons license; the full text, figures, and supplementary materials (including sensitivity tests of the crystallization models) are available at the link you provided. Secondary coverage (e.g., ScienceAlert) has summarized the findings for a general audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Journal:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/journals\/science-advances\/\">Science Advances<\/a>, Vol 12, Issue 41<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>DOI:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.aei4756\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10.1126\/sciadv.aei4756<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Published:<\/strong> 9 Oct 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Authors:<\/strong> Yu Zhang, Wenzhong Wang (corresponding author, University of Science and Technology of China), Zhongqing Wu, and colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chemical heterogeneities in Earth\u2019s deep mantle may record either preserved primordial reservoirs or later core-mantle exchange, but distinguishing between these origins remains challenging. Hydrogen isotopes offer a sensitive tracer, yet whether magma ocean crystallization could generate a deuterium-depleted deep reservoir has not been quantitatively evaluated. Here, we use machine learning\u2013accelerated path-integral simulations to determine equilibrium hydrogen isotope fractionation between silicate melt and bridgmanite, ringwoodite, and wadsleyite under magma ocean conditions. Incorporating these fractionation factors into a magma ocean crystallization model shows that mineral-melt fractionation is intrinsically weak, producing an essentially homogeneous D\/H distribution in the primitive mantle. Magma ocean crystallization therefore cannot generate the extremely low \u03b4D values observed in some ocean island basalts. Combined with exceptionally high <sup>3<\/sup>He\/<sup>4<\/sup>He ratios, these signatures more plausibly reflect selective transfer of primordial volatiles from Earth\u2019s core, implying sustained volatile exchange across the core-mantle boundary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study (published in Science Advances) indicates that Earth\u2019s metallic core has been leaking primordial hydrogen, along with helium- 3 and certain tungsten isotopes, into the mantle for much of the planet\u2019s 4.5- billion- year history.<\/p>\n<p>Hydrogen moves from Earth\u2019s core to the mantle primarily through limited chemical exchange and diffusion (or related transport) across the core, mantle boundary (CMB), rather than large- scale bulk flow.<\/p>\n<p>Tungsten isotope anomalies, particularly involving the isotope \u00b9\u2078\u00b2W, are important geochemical tracers used to study early Earth differentiation and possible ongoing exchange between Earth\u2019s core and mantle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":480610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"Discover how Earth's core has been leaking primordial hydrogen for billions of years, altering the mantle's composition and isotopic signatures.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Earth's Core Leaks Hidden Hydrogen: A Groundbreaking Study","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691846570,691846569,691846562,691846556,691846563,691846564,691846567,691846559,691834425,691846555,691846568,691846561,691846565,691846558,691846566,691846560,691846557],"class_list":["post-480609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-deuterium-depleted-hydrogen-isotope","tag-fingerprint","tag-chemical-messengers-from-depth","tag-earths-metallic-core","tag-helium-3","tag-helium-4","tag-high-he-he-ratios","tag-leaking-primordial-hydrogen","tag-magma","tag-mantle-plume","tag-negative-w-anomalies","tag-ocean-island-basalts-oibs","tag-silicon-as-sio","tag-technology-of-china","tag-the-hf-w-system","tag-tungsten-isotopes","tag-university-of-science","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-211L","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":443773,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=443773","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":0},"title":"Mantle Helium Reveals a New Tectonic Rift Awakening in Southern Africa","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/12\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The East African Rift System (EARS or EAR) is one of the most significant active continental rift zones on Earth. It represents a divergent tectonic plate boundary where the African Plate is slowly splitting into the Nubian Plate (west) and the Somali Plate (east), with additional microplates involved (e.g., Victoria,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"22\u201325 million years ago (Miocene)\"","block_context":{"text":"22\u201325 million years ago (Miocene)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=22-25-million-years-ago-miocene"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Mantle-Helium-Reveals-a-New-Tectonic-Rift-Awakening-in-Southern-Africa.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Mantle-Helium-Reveals-a-New-Tectonic-Rift-Awakening-in-Southern-Africa.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Mantle-Helium-Reveals-a-New-Tectonic-Rift-Awakening-in-Southern-Africa.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Mantle-Helium-Reveals-a-New-Tectonic-Rift-Awakening-in-Southern-Africa.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Mantle-Helium-Reveals-a-New-Tectonic-Rift-Awakening-in-Southern-Africa.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":368019,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=368019","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":1},"title":"Geologic Hydrogen: A Game-Changer or Another Energy Mirage?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/28\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"What if the Earth has been hoarding a massive energy stockpile right under our noses? That\u2019s the provocative idea in a new study from Science Advances (December 13, 2024),\u00a0Model predictions of global geologic hydrogen resources, by Geoffrey Ellis and Sarah E. Gelman. They propose that natural hydrogen\u2014formed by geological processes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Energy\"","block_context":{"text":"Energy","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":366827,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=366827","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":2},"title":"Hydrogen Energy: Not Clean, Green, Cheap","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/19\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hydrogen. The first element in the Periodic Table and the most abundant element in the Universe. It is also the simplest element\u2014the most common isotope has only one proton and one electron. It has been called the \u201cFuture of Energy\u201d; after all, the Sun relies on hydrogen to keep emitting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201cFuture of Energy\u201d\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201cFuture of Energy\u201d","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=future-of-energy"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Green-Hydrogen-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Green-Hydrogen-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Green-Hydrogen-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Green-Hydrogen-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Green-Hydrogen-1.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":479696,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=479696","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":3},"title":"Deep Magma\u2019s Hidden Oxygen Cache May Have Helped Turn Earth Blue","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/16\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A new study shows that silicate magma (molten rock) in Earth\u2019s deep interior can store substantial \u201cexcess oxygen\u201d beyond conventional chemical (stoichiometric) limits, acting like a volatile that is released upon ascent and potentially helping oxidize the shallow Earth and atmosphere. It proposes a previously unrecognized geological mechanism that could\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"atmospheric oxygen\"","block_context":{"text":"atmospheric oxygen","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=atmospheric-oxygen"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Deep-Magmas-Hidden-Oxygen-Cache-May-Have-Helped-Turn-Earth-Blue.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Deep-Magmas-Hidden-Oxygen-Cache-May-Have-Helped-Turn-Earth-Blue.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Deep-Magmas-Hidden-Oxygen-Cache-May-Have-Helped-Turn-Earth-Blue.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Deep-Magmas-Hidden-Oxygen-Cache-May-Have-Helped-Turn-Earth-Blue.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Deep-Magmas-Hidden-Oxygen-Cache-May-Have-Helped-Turn-Earth-Blue.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":444013,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=444013","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":4},"title":"Earth Was Recycling Billions of Years Before It Was Cool: Evidence from Ancient Continents","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/13\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earth's earliest continents, formed in the Archean eon, roughly 4\u20132.5 billion years ago, weren't just pristine melts straight from the mantle. They incorporated a lot of \"sun- baked ocean leftovers\"\u2014recycled oceanic crust and sediments that had been altered at the surface by seawater and the ancient atmosphere.","rel":"","context":"In \"Earth's rock cycle\"","block_context":{"text":"Earth's rock cycle","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=earths-rock-cycle"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Earth-Was-Recycling-Billions-of-Years-Before-It-Was-Cool-Evidence-from-Ancient-Continents.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Earth-Was-Recycling-Billions-of-Years-Before-It-Was-Cool-Evidence-from-Ancient-Continents.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Earth-Was-Recycling-Billions-of-Years-Before-It-Was-Cool-Evidence-from-Ancient-Continents.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Earth-Was-Recycling-Billions-of-Years-Before-It-Was-Cool-Evidence-from-Ancient-Continents.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-Earth-Was-Recycling-Billions-of-Years-Before-It-Was-Cool-Evidence-from-Ancient-Continents.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":479239,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=479239","url_meta":{"origin":480609,"position":5},"title":"Earth\u2019s Mantle Was \u201cBreathing\u201d Oxygen Billion Years Before the Atmosphere","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/15\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists found evidence that Earth\u2019s mantle was interacting with (and being oxidized by) surface oxygen as early as ~3.4 billion years ago, roughly a billion years before the Great Oxidation Event permanently raised atmospheric oxygen levels around 2.3- 2.2 billion years ago. Sanukitoid petrogenesis refers to the origin and formation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Atmospheric chemistry\"","block_context":{"text":"Atmospheric chemistry","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=atmospheric-chemistry"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Mantle-Was-Breathing-Oxygen-Billion-Years-Before-the-Atmosphere.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Mantle-Was-Breathing-Oxygen-Billion-Years-Before-the-Atmosphere.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Mantle-Was-Breathing-Oxygen-Billion-Years-Before-the-Atmosphere.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Mantle-Was-Breathing-Oxygen-Billion-Years-Before-the-Atmosphere.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Mantle-Was-Breathing-Oxygen-Billion-Years-Before-the-Atmosphere.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0-Earths-Core-Has-Been-Quietly-Leaking-Primordial-Hydrogen-for-Billions-of-Years.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=480609"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":480709,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480609\/revisions\/480709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/480610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=480609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=480609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=480609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}