University of Nebraska experts think that a continent-shaking event from more than a billion years ago may still be reverberating with impact today in the form of cleaner hydrogen fuel.
The research, detailed in a Cornhuskers press release, examines the possibility that the 1,200-mile Midcontinent Rift could hold thousands of years' worth of energy up to 5,000 feet underground.
"It could be deep enough to be stored, but shallow enough that we can access it," Professor Karrie Weber, a project investigator, said in the release. "The geology is in our favor."
The rift stretches from Lake Superior through parts of six states, going as far south as Kansas. It was formed when the North American continent nearly split. A large swath of volcanic rock remains. The scientists are examining whether water interacting with the rock is creating natural hydrogen, a fuel source with "near-zero" heat-trapping fumes, all per Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Energy.
It's fascinating chemistry that happens when certain rocks contact water, creating a reaction that leaves hydrogen as a byproduct, as described by AAPG Explorer.
Hydrogen is eyed by the government as a potential replacement for dirty energy sources. There's even a DOE-backed project in Texas designed to vet the production and use of the fuel, which is already powering vehicles.
While cleaner on some fronts, hydrogen production often includes a process involving dirty energy. Planet-friendlier electrolysis can utilize renewable electricity to split hydrogen from water and oxygen, all per government information on the fuel. If made naturally underground, the production concerns evaporate.
Though, the fuel has other critics, including the Sierra Club. A fact sheet from the environmental watchdog highlighted that hydrogen releases nitrogen oxide when combusted, a known lung-troubling gas. For comparison, the DOE said the nitrogen oxide fumes are similar to natural gas when it's burnt to power a turbine. The experts added that using hydrogen in a fuel cell results in no pollution.
For their part, the Nebraska team is well into the rift research.
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A five-year-old test borehole is showing "promising" results. The site is unique geologically, sort of a goldilocks location for hydrogen. Other underground reserves are located far offshore, or much too deep to be accessible. There are some similar rifts around the world that could also be accessed, all per the summary.
Now, the team is analyzing specific details about the hydrogen store, including biochemical and microbiologic concerns, as well as how to practically put the fuel in storage.
Hydrogen proponents see the cleaner fuel as a potential propellant for cars and even planes, reducing heat-trapping air pollution. The World Health Organization reported that nearly everyone on Earth breathes in air that doesn't meet its standards.
Importantly, you don't have to go snooping around the Midcontinent Rift to make an impact. Some basic maintenance on your appliances, including cleaning lint from your dryer regularly, can cut the cost of running it by 10%.
In the meantime, if the Cornhuskers figure out how to affordably tap the rift's hydrogen lode, they could provide a game-changing energy supply. The team has a $1 million government grant to help, according to the summary.
"Our understanding of processes governing the production, migration, and accumulation of evasive natural hydrogen in the continental deep subsurface is still in its infancy," Professor Seunghee Kim, a principal investigator, said.
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