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Massive Hydrogen System Discovered Beneath the Pacific Seafloor— What It Could Mean for the Hydrogen Industry
- HX
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have revealed the existence of a massive hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system beneath the western Pacific seafloor. Known as the Kunlun field, this system has stunned researchers not only for its sheer size—over 100 times larger than the famed Lost City hydrothermal vents—but also for the implications it may carry for both Earth science and the future of hydrogen as a clean energy source.
Located roughly 80 kilometers west of the Mussau Trench on the Caroline Plate, the
Kunlun field spans 11.1 square kilometers and features 20 giant seafloor depressions, some stretching over a kilometer in diameter. Using the Chinese crewed submersible Fendouzhe and advanced Raman spectroscopy, researchers measured hydrogen concentrations as high as 6.8 millimoles per kilogram in hydrothermal fluids. Their findings estimate that the system produces an astonishing annual hydrogen flux of about 4.8 × 10¹¹ mol/year—representing at least five percent of the global abiotic hydrogen output from all submarine sources.
This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about where hydrogen can be generated. Until now, scientists believed that most hydrogen-rich environments were concentrated near mid-ocean ridges. Kunlun, however, demonstrates that serpentinization—the process where iron- and magnesium-rich rocks react with water to release hydrogen—can occur far from these ridges, expanding the horizons for where future hydrogen exploration may take place.
The geological setting of Kunlun is striking. The hydrothermal system features steep-walled craters resembling kimberlite pipes, explosive breccia deposits, and layered carbonate formations. These features suggest a staged history of geological activity—first marked by violent gas-driven eruptions and later transitioning into stable hydrothermal circulation and mineral deposition. In many ways, Kunlun acts as a natural laboratory for studying the evolution of hydrogen-rich ecosystems and the geological processes that sustain them.
For the hydrogen industry, Kunlun’s discovery is a potential game-changer. If this system alone produces a measurable portion of Earth’s submarine hydrogen, it raises the possibility that other untapped deep-sea hydrogen reservoirs could one day contribute to the global clean energy mix. While commercial extraction from such depths remains a distant prospect, the discovery demonstrates that Earth naturally produces hydrogen at a scale much larger than previously imagined. This revelation could inspire further exploration of submarine hydrogen sources and shape long-term strategies for diversifying global hydrogen supply.
Beyond energy, the discovery carries weight for planetary science and astrobiology. Hydrogen-rich hydrothermal systems like Kunlun offer parallels to environments thought to exist on icy moons such as Europa and Enceladus. By studying how hydrogen supports ecosystems deep beneath our oceans, researchers may gain insights into the potential for life elsewhere in the solar system.
The Kunlun hydrothermal system is more than just a scientific breakthrough—it represents a new frontier for both clean energy exploration and our understanding of life itself. For the hydrogen industry, it signals the vast, untapped potential of natural hydrogen processes beneath the seafloor. And for humanity, it opens a deeper appreciation of how our planet’s hidden systems might not only sustain ecosystems today but may have also played a critical role in the origins of life billions of years ago.
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