A natural form of energy that can power the earth for 170,000 years? Where do we sign up? Well, unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. New research has revealed that there might be vast amounts of energy waiting just under our feet, ready to give the world enough power to last close to 200,000 years. So to say that this has major implications for the entire human race is no understatement. Scientists have only begun to scratch the surface to reveal what the earth has to offer, and it could change the world forever.
Hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize energy production for the future
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It has so much potential to provide power for the world’s energy needs that are yet to be fully explored. However, a recent study has revealed some interesting regions for the world to explore and potentially develop a new process of extracting naturally forming hydrogen from our planet.
Hydrogen is a volatile element, especially when created in an unnatural process. When we use current technology to produce hydrogen, the process is heavy on carbon emissions and not a viable solution for the world’s ever-increasing energy needs, hence the apprehension in exploring the element. But that has not stopped some researchers from taking a deep dive into the pool of hydrogen possibilities.
“The game of the moment is to find where it has been released, accumulated and preserved,” – Chris Ballentine, a professor and chair of geochemistry at the University of Oxford and lead author of a new review article on hydrogen production in Earth’s crust
Researchers have made an astonishing discovery that has long-lasting implications
A group of researchers has found pockets of naturally occurring hydrogen just beneath the Earth’s crust. This has changed science completely, as the overarching assumption was that there is no hydrogen being produced on Earth. However, we have recently discovered small pockets of the element in the sea and in several regions on land.
That research has stated that the Earth has been producing hydrogen naturally for over 1 billion years and that the hydrogen reserves in the Earth’s crust could provide energy for 170,000 years. So we would say further investigation is required. Finding vast reserves of hydrogen could fast-track the global move away from fossil fuels towards a more renewable energy source. The study finds that the United States is a prime candidate for further exploration.
“The specific conditions for hydrogen gas accumulation and production are what a number of exploration companies (e.g., Koloma, funded by a consortium led by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy fund, Hy-Terra, funded by Fortescue, and Snowfox, funded by BP [British Petroleum] and RioTinto) are looking at carefully, and this will vary for different geological environments.
“One place that is attracting a lot of interest is in Kansas, where a feature called the midcontinental rift, formed about 1 billion years ago, created a huge accumulation of rocks (mainly basalts) that can react with water to form hydrogen. The search is on here for geological structures that may have trapped and accumulated the hydrogen generated.” – Chris Ballentine
This could be a milestone in our history as we progress into a renewable future
While hydrogen is abundant, the process of finding it, collecting it, and making a profit at the same time is as challenging as it is revolutionary. But fortune favors the brave, and we can envision a raft of countries all wanting to take part in the revolutionary research being done. Whether we as a species are able to cooperate is the ultimate goal; we all share this earth and have hope for our children’s futures. At least we have made significant progress in unearthing hydrogen beneath us, so the process can begin as to how to use that discovery to our benefit.
For more information about this discovery, you can consult the full study here: Ballentine, C.J., Karolytė, R., Cheng, A. et al. Natural hydrogen resource accumulation in the continental crust. Nat Rev Earth Environ 6, 342–356 (2025).
