Midcontinent Rift Could Hold Abundant Hydrogen Energy

Experts from University of Nebraska surmised 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.