Hydrogen Reserves Hidden Underground Could Power Earth for Two Centuries
A vast reserve of hydrogen gas buried beneath Earth’s crust has been estimated to hold trillions of tons of this clean energy source. Scientists suggest that even a small portion of this hidden hydrogen could meet global energy needs for the next 200 years, potentially reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. While the exact locations of these reserves remain unclear, preliminary studies point to immense quantities, indicating significant implications for future energy systems and sustainable development.
Massive Hydrogen Reserves Identified
According to a recent study published in Science Advances, an estimated 6.2 trillion tons of hydrogen could be trapped within rocks and underground reservoirs. This figure vastly exceeds the total oil reserves globally, with hydrogen quantities calculated to be 26 times greater than the remaining crude oil. Despite the enormous potential, much of this hydrogen is believed to lie at depths or locations that may prove inaccessible or economically unviable for extraction.
Key Insights from the Study
Geoffrey Ellis, a petroleum geochemist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), emphasised to space.com that a mere 2 percent of these hydrogen stocks could supply sufficient energy to achieve global carbon neutrality for approximately two centuries. Ellis explained that natural hydrogen is produced through various geological processes, including the breakdown of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
Unlike hydrogen derived from water electrolysis, which requires renewable or fossil energy sources, natural hydrogen found underground is self-generated and stored naturally in reservoirs. This reduces the need for additional energy-intensive storage systems, as the gas can be tapped on demand.
Challenges and Uncertainty in Exploration
Significant challenges persist in determining the precise locations of these underground hydrogen deposits. The study acknowledged that estimates ranged widely, from 1 billion to 10 trillion tons, due to the limitations of the modelling approach. Efforts are underway to refine criteria for identifying viable hydrogen reserves.
If recoverable, natural hydrogen could play a transformative role in global energy systems, with research into its accessibility set to continue in the coming years. Scientists are focusing on narrowing geologic markers to pinpoint reserves more effectively, with further findings expected in 2024.
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Nuclear physicists have detected the radioactive disintegration of a rare isotope of astatine for the first time. This shows that the heaviest element found in nature may be modified a lot, maybe even destroyed, in a way that scientists didn’t predict. That oddball radioactive decay with 85 protons and 103 neutrons is almost (but not quite) a nuclear species that we would call stable. The finding was made by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, and it’s a major development for nuclear physics. It describes something that just shouldn’t be and then shows us what the forces are that make for heavy atomic structures.
Rare Proton Decay in 188At Sheds Light on Extreme Nuclear Shapes and Stability Limits
As per a report published in Nature Communications on May 29, 2025, the isotope was produced using a fusion-evaporation reaction that entailed the irradiation of a natural silver target with strontium-84 ions. The exotic nucleus, 188 At, has a pronouncedly prolate form (of a ”watermelon” type) generated by the neutron and proton normal and attractive interaction in the inner shells of heavy nuclei experienced as a projectile in our case study.
Henna Kokkonen, the doctoral researcher who made the discovery, has mentioned that the proton emitted allows an unstable nucleus to progress towards stability by getting rid of a proton. The 190 At isotope was found by Kokkonen with the investigation of rare decay in the heavy nucleus, the rare interaction in the binding energy of the proton, and presumably a tendency change in the heavy atom region.
The team of the theory and experiment workshop pointed out the importance of exploring new decay modes and testing predictive models at the extremes of the periodic table. They also talked about how technology has improved in making and studying isotopes with short lifetimes.
Isotope discoveries of this scale remain rare in modern nuclear physics. Kokkonen expressed pride in contributing to a global effort that deepens our understanding of atomic structure. Each such finding helps refine our knowledge of nuclear forces, elemental formation, and the fundamental limits of matter. The breakthrough underscores how even after a century of nuclear science, the field continues to yield surprises from the smallest building blocks of the universe.
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