一項新的研究表明，地球可能擁有一種尚未開發的能源——埋藏在地表深處的數萬億噸氫氣。

最好的？它可以連續幾個世紀為世界供電。

根據美國地質調查局的杰弗里·埃利斯領導的研究，這些隱藏的儲量可以提供足夠的能源，在1000年內減少全球對化石燃料的依賴。

這種地質氫是通過地球化學過程自然形成的，估計總量約為6.2萬億噸（5.6萬億公噸），具有作為低碳能源的巨大潛力。

雖然阿爾巴尼亞和馬里等地已經發現了氫氣儲量，但研究人員認為，世界各地也存在類似的礦床。然而，大部分氫氣可能埋得太深或位于海上，這使得大規模開采成為一項挑戰。即便如此，發表在《科學進展》上的這項研究表明，僅利用估計儲量的2%就可以滿足世界200年的氫氣需求，有助于實現凈零碳目標。

這些儲量所含的能量超過了所有已探明的天然氣儲量，突顯了氫氣作為清潔替代品的潛力。然而，倫敦大學學院的Bill McGuire教授等專家警告說，開發大規模提取氫氣的基礎設施需要全球做出巨大努力。盡管存在這些挑戰，但該研究強調了對地質氫進行進一步研究的必要性，這可能在向可持續能源過渡方面發揮關鍵作用。

A new study shows Earth may hold an untapped energy source — trillions of tons of hydrogen gas buried deep beneath the surface.

Best of all? It could power the world for centuries on end.

According to research led by Geoffrey Ellis of the U.S. Geological Survey, these hidden reserves could provide enough energy to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels for 1,000 years.

Formed naturally through geochemical processes, this geologic hydrogen is estimated to total around 6.2 trillion tons (5.6 trillion metric tons), with significant potential to serve as a low-carbon energy resource.

While hydrogen reserves have already been identified in places like Albania and Mali, researchers believe similar deposits exist worldwide. However, much of this hydrogen is likely buried too deep or located offshore, making large-scale extraction a challenge. Even so, the study, published in Science Advances, suggests that tapping into just 2% of the estimated reserves could meet the world’s hydrogen needs for 200 years, helping achieve net-zero carbon goals.

The energy contained in these reserves exceeds that of all proven natural gas deposits, highlighting the potential of hydrogen as a clean alternative. However, experts like Prof. Bill McGuire of University College London warn that developing the infrastructure to extract hydrogen at scale would require a massive global effort. Despite these challenges, the study underscores the need for further research into geologic hydrogen, which could play a critical role in the transition to sustainable energy.