Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
— “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1790
My father once said, “Wouldn’t it be great if they could find a way to split water easily?” He was a chemical engineer who disdained waste and pollution and was keenly aware of how clean hydrogen burned. It was 1961, and I was 6. He told me hydrogen was the most abundant element in the universe, that the sun was mostly hydrogen, and that water was, by volume, two-thirds hydrogen.
That lesson sent me on a lifelong voyage of discovery: that our survival depends on energy radiated 93 million miles away and that water — which contains just two elements, hydrogen and oxygen — sustains all life. It also made me wonder why hydrogen, the universe’s most abundant element, is virtually absent in its natural, elemental form on Earth.
Now there is evidence that this is no longer valid.
I read that the center of the Earth exceeds 6,000°C (10,800°F) and imagined that, if we could drill deep enough, we could produce steam — or even split water into its components — to fuel the world. Alas, I was young and naive. The problem? It was wildly inefficient. Sixty-four years later, it still is. All that energy trapped in water, yet no naturally available elemental hydrogen — until now.
The simplest ways to obtain hydrogen are electrolysis and extreme heat. Electrolysis is straightforward: Drop a couple of battery electrodes in water, and collect oxygen and hydrogen separately. Heat-driven separation, though — that’s another whole kettle of fish. Shoot water to the Earth’s core, and it would split long before its 4,000-mile journey, turning into metallic hydrogen. Talk about heavy metal — this would make Jimmy Hetfield look like a lightweight.*
Fuel-cell technology has advanced significantly since our last report. Costs have dropped, efficiencies have risen — but, in my humble opinion**, nothing compares to the latest discovery: natural hydrogen. Earth itself produces hydrogen through a process called radiolysis — water splitting driven by natural radiation — which escapes through fissures. If this resource becomes universally accessible, it could revolutionize our energy supply.
Here’s an excerpt from Innovation News Network:
Exploiting natural hydrogen sources is key for the green energy transition.
GFZ (GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany) researchers have pinpointed where to find natural hydrogen using state-of-the-art plate tectonic simulations. Hydrogen gas (H2) has immense potential to replace fossil fuels while eliminating CO2 emissions and other pollutants. The main challenge is scaling production: synthetic hydrogen can be energy-intensive, especially if fossil fuels are involved.
The solution may already exist in nature. Various geological processes generate hydrogen, but until recently, it was unclear where to find large accumulations. A team led by Dr. Frank Zwaan of the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences presents new insights.
Natural hydrogen hot spots in deep mantle rocks
Plate tectonic modeling shows that mountain ranges where deep mantle rocks approach the surface are prime natural hydrogen hot spots. These areas can generate and accumulate hydrogen on a scale that could be tapped through drilling. Hydrogen can form through bacterial decomposition of organic material or via radiolysis in continental crust. Mali researchers have already proven natural hydrogen’s viability, producing small volumes from iron-rich sedimentary layers.
The most promising process, however, involves mantle rocks reacting with water. Minerals in these rocks transform into serpentine minerals, releasing H2 gas. To interact with water and serpentinize, these rocks must be tectonically exhumed to the surface.
Tectonic modeling unlocks hydrogen potential
Using advanced numerical plate tectonic simulations, the GFZ team tracked mantle rocks from rifting and continental breakup to mountain building. For the first time, researchers identified when and where mantle rocks reach the surface and contact water at temperatures ideal for serpentinization.
Conditions in mountain ranges outperform rift basins: colder temperatures and ample water circulation along faults allow large volumes of rock to serpentinize at 200 to 350 degrees Celsius. As a result, hydrogen generation in mountain ranges may be up to 20 times greater than in rift environments.
Intensifying exploration
Exploration is already underway in the Pyrenees, the European Alps, and the Balkans, where natural hydrogen formation has been observed. Dr. Zwaan notes that success depends on novel exploration strategies and understanding tectonic history: reservoirs form during mountain building, which requires prior rifting. Insights from plate tectonic modeling will guide future discoveries.
Conclusion
Who would have thought radiation could provide clean energy — naturally, no less? This is one form of radiation I wholeheartedly approve of. Let’s see if it bears fruit. I suspect it will.
* Jimmy Hetfield is lead vocalist for Metallica
** My opinion is always humble
Jim Bobreski of Penn Yan is a process control engineer in power production for 43 years. He also is the author of “Alternate Energy and Climate Change in the Age of Trump,” available at Longs’ Bookstore in Penn Yan.