A groundbreaking study led by Geoffrey Ellis, a petroleum geochemist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has revealed that Earth’s subsurface contains an estimated 6.2 trillion tons (5.6 trillion metric tons) of naturally occurring hydrogen gas. This vast reserve, formed through natural geochemical processes deep underground, could potentially supply humanity’s energy needs for over a millennium.
Unlike industrial hydrogen which is energy-intensive to produce this "geologic hydrogen" forms naturally through chemical reactions between water and rocks. It has already been identified in locations such as Mali, Albania, France, and the United States, suggesting that such reserves may be widespread globally.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, estimates that even extracting a small fraction about 2% of this hydrogen could meet the world’s hydrogen demand for approximately 200 years. This amount of hydrogen contains more energy than all proven natural gas reserves on Earth, positioning it as a powerful and clean alternative to fossil fuels.
Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a key player in the global transition to low-carbon energy, with applications in transportation, electricity generation, and industrial processes. The discovery of these massive underground reserves could significantly accelerate efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
However, challenges remain in locating accessible deposits and developing the infrastructure necessary for economically viable extraction. Many of these reserves are likely too deep or offshore to be currently reachable, and some may be too small for practical recovery. Despite these hurdles, the sheer scale of the resource offers promising potential for a sustainable energy future.
This monumental finding opens new avenues for clean energy production, highlighting geologic hydrogen as a game-changing resource that could help power civilization for centuries while reducing dependence on polluting fossil fuels.
