Scientists have discovered potential underground hydrogen reserves across the US, challenging long-held beliefs about the availability of this clean energy source and opening new opportunities for energy production.
United States Geological Survey (USGS) researchers have unveiled a first-of-its-kind map, uncovering regions where hydrogen gas may be stored beneath the Earth’s surface in quantities significant enough for extraction. The findings suggest a far greater abundance of natural hydrogen underground than previously thought.
Long-held assumptions challenged
Sarah Ryker, associate director for energy and mineral resources at the USGS, said the map challenges decades of assumptions. “For decades, the conventional wisdom was that naturally occurring hydrogen did not accumulate in sufficient quantities to be used for energy purposes,” Ryker, who was not involved in the research, said.
“This map is tantalizing because it shows that several parts of the U.S. could have a subsurface hydrogen resource after all.”
Identifying key regions
The map uses a color-coded system to indicate the likelihood of hydrogen reserves. Dark blue areas represent the highest potential, while white areas show little to no possibility of reserves. Regions with the most promise include Michigan, eastern Kentucky, southern North Dakota, and parts of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Iowa, and Oklahoma.
USGS releases detailed prospectivity report for geologic hydrogen pic.twitter.com/ANKlqoRQGT
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How hydrogen is stored underground
Scientists identified three key factors that determine whether an area can store hydrogen: a source of hydrogen, rocks that can act as reservoirs, and natural barriers to trap the gas underground.
This type of hydrogen, often referred to as geologic or “white” hydrogen, forms through chemical reactions in rocks. One common process splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
The map shows that at least 30 U.S. states have conditions suitable for underground hydrogen accumulation. Significant potential exists in the Midwest, as well as along the California coast and Eastern Seaboard, researchers reported.
The future of hydrogen as clean energy
Hydrogen is widely recognized as a clean energy source, with experts projecting it could supply up to 30% of energy needs in certain sectors by mid-century. Demand for hydrogen is expected to grow fivefold by 2050, as countries transition to cleaner energy solutions.
In an earlier study, researchers estimated Earth’s total buried hydrogen reserves at 6.2 trillion tons (5.6 trillion metric tons). According to the study, just 2% of those reserves could meet the world’s energy needs for 200 years. However, that research did not identify specific locations, which this new map now begins to address.
Laying the groundwork for the future
Sarah Gelman, a geologist at the USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center and a contributor to the research, called the map a critical next step. “We showed there is a significant potential for geologic hydrogen as an emerging energy resource,” Gelman said. “The logical next step was to find where it might be in the United States.”