{"id":368019,"date":"2025-02-28T15:45:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T14:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=368019"},"modified":"2025-02-28T15:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T14:45:04","slug":"geologic-hydrogen-a-game-changer-or-another-energy-mirage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=368019","title":{"rendered":"Geologic Hydrogen: A Game-Changer or Another Energy Mirage?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Charles Rotter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.ado0955<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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), Model predictions of global geologic hydrogen resources<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, by Geoffrey Ellis and Sarah E. Gelman. They propose that natural hydrogen\u2014formed by geological processes deep underground\u2014could dwarf today\u2019s proven natural gas reserves in scale. Before we start imagining a new energy golden age, let\u2019s unpack what this study claims, what it doesn\u2019t, and why it might matter to anyone who cares about energy that actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The researchers used a mass balance model to estimate how much hydrogen might be locked in the Earth\u2019s subsurface. Their figures are jaw-dropping: a range from 1,000 to 10 billion million metric tons (Mt), with a \u201cmost probable\u201d value of 5.6 million Mt. If just 2% of that\u2014about 100,000 Mt\u2014were extractable, it could meet a projected global hydrogen demand of 500 Mt per year (by 2050) for two centuries. Energy-wise, they calculate it at 14 quadrillion megajoules, nearly double the 8.4 quadrillion MJ in all known natural gas reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a number to make you sit up. But here\u2019s the catch: most of it might be too deep, too scattered, or too tough to grab with today\u2019s tools. Still, the authors argue that even a small chunk could shake things up\u2014if we can find it and make it practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may not be pie-in-the-sky stuff. Geologic hydrogen forms through natural processes like serpentinization (water reacting with iron-rich rocks) or cryptic reactions deep in the crust. Take Mali, where a field pumps out nearly pure hydrogen, or look at hydrogen seeping from Albanian mines and bubbling up in Russia and Brazil. These aren\u2019t one-offs; they\u2019re clues to a resource we\u2019ve maybe just missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The model pegs annual hydrogen generation at 15 to 31 Mt, though the authors speculate it could soar to 25,000 Mt if deep mantle sources check out. Most of it either escapes or gets munched by underground microbes, but some might linger in reservoirs, ripe for the taking\u2014if we can crack the puzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get too cozy with those big numbers\u2014the uncertainty is glaring. That 1,000 to 10 billion Mt range spans seven orders of magnitude, and the \u201cmost probable\u201d 5.6 million Mt is a guess, not a drilled-and-proven reserve. Finding it? Good luck. Unlike shale gas, where the target was known and the trick was extraction, hydrogen\u2019s hiding spots are a mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the practical side. Hydrogen\u2019s tiny molecules leak like crazy, and while the study likens it to helium or CO\u2082 (which can stay trapped for ages), microbes or shaky seals could drain it before we arrive. Residence time in reservoirs is the make-or-break factor\u2014if it doesn\u2019t hang around, those grand totals crumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study slots geologic hydrogen alongside \u201cgreen\u201d hydrogen (from electrolysis, tethered to sprawling wind or solar farms), \u201cblue\u201d hydrogen (from fossil fuels with shaky carbon capture), and overlooks the heavyweight: nuclear. Fission\u2019s track record shows it can pump out steady, massive energy without the hiccups of renewables or the convoluted plumbing of carbon sequestration. Hydrogen might join the lineup, but it\u2019s not dethroning nuclear anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors suggest it could lighten the load on blue hydrogen\u2019s carbon capture pipe dreams or green hydrogen\u2019s land-grabbing renewable sprawl. Fair point\u2014but energy isn\u2019t about chasing climate unicorns; it\u2019s about keeping the grid humming. At a \u201crenewable\u201d refill rate of 5 Mt per year, geologic hydrogen barely dents the 500 Mt demand by 2050. Nuclear, meanwhile, could scale up now without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why give this a second glance? If it pans out, geologic hydrogen could be a wild card that boosts energy abundance without the baggage of wind farms, solar deserts, or endless green gimmicks. It\u2019s not about some low-carbon crusade\u2014it\u2019s about raw potential. A resource that might double natural gas\u2019s energy punch deserves attention, especially if it dodges the politics of renewables and the headaches of carbon capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, it\u2019s a tantalizing \u201cmaybe.\u201d The authors call for more research, and they\u2019re right\u2014too much is up in the air to bank on it. Think early shale gas: a long shot that hit big, but only after years of grind and breakthroughs. Hydrogen\u2019s got no such playbook yet. It could be the next energy frontier\u2014or just another overhyped distraction to keep the grant wheels turning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could this be a shale-style revolution, or is it another shiny object for the dreamers? The answer\u2019s in the rocks\u2014and a few well-aimed drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 deep underground\u2014could dwarf today\u2019s proven natural gas reserves in scale. Before we start imagining a new energy golden age, let\u2019s unpack what this study claims, what it doesn\u2019t, and why it might matter to anyone who cares about energy that actually works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":368023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"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":[691818128,691833579,691833580,691833578,691833577],"class_list":{"0":"post-368019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-energy","9":"tag-geologic-hydrogen","10":"tag-model-predictions","11":"tag-natural-hydrogen","12":"tag-science-advances","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0ashim-d-silva-WeYamle9fDM-unsplash-jpg.webp?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1xJN","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":210063,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=210063","url_meta":{"origin":368019,"position":0},"title":"Could Natural Hydrogen Kill Green Hydrogen?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"25\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Essay by Eric Worrall h\/t David S. \u2013 If you have never heard of natural hydrogen deposits before, you\u2019re not alone. 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At some point, the green energy planners realized that the power grid cannot serve as a storage system. 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Cressey\u2019s\u00a0No Son, There Won\u2019t Be a Hydrogen Economy\u00a0is a sharp, data-driven critique of the growing hype surrounding hydrogen as a future energy source. 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