The role of natural hydrogen (a.k.a. “geological”, or “white” hydrogen) as a potential major contributor to a decarbonized energy system in the future has sparked significant debate in recent years. Geological helium resources, independent of co-production with fossil fuels, have similarly attracted the attention of both scientists and industry professionals, especially when co-located with hydrogen.
To date, a truly interdisciplinary scientific understanding of the subsurface natural hydrogen/helium system is lacking, with knowledge being fragmented across disciplines, and exploration/assessment workflows in their infancy. This session aims to address key subsurface aspects of geological hydrogen/helium systems, soliciting contributions from a broad range of disciplines, covering solid earth geosciences, geochemistry, hydrology, remote sensing and soil system sciences. In particular, the session aims to address:
- Generation potential and migration/possible accumulation processes and fluid pathways
- Geological history of such systems through the Wilson cycle
- Source rock/origin and conversion kinetics, flux estimates and relation to emplacement/host environment through geological time
- Spatial characteristics of geological hydrogen/helium systems - distribution, 3D geometry and their activity through geological time.
- Measurement and instrumentation aspects to detect, characterize, and quantify source, fluxes, shallow subsurface interactions and surface leakage of H2 and He.
- Natural hydrogen/helium occurrences and recent discoveries