Global Distribution, Genesis, and Enrichment Characteristics of High-Concentration Natural Hydrogen

Yufei Liang^1,2,3Qingqiang Meng⁴Xiaowei Huang^1,2,3*Wang Lu^2,5Yongbo Wei^2,6Jiayi Liu⁴Yuan Zhou⁴Lei Huang^1,2,3QI LI^1,2,3Jiahui Chen^1,2,3Dongsheng Zhou^1,2,3

• ¹China University of Geoscience, Beijing, Beijing, China
• ²Key Laboratory of Polar Geology and Marine Mineral Resources (China University of Geosciences, Beijing), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
• ³Institute of Hainan, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, Hainan, China
• ⁴SINOPEC Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute, Beijing, China
• ⁵Peking University Institute of Energy, Beijing, China
• ⁶Institute of Geology and Geophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Under the global decarbonization initiative, natural hydrogen has garnered significant attention as a green, high-calorific-value, zero-carbon emission clean energy source in marine and continental contexts. Previous research on natural hydrogen systems remains nascent. This study systematically synthesized the distribution characteristics, genetic mechanisms, and enrichment processes of high-concentration natural hydrogen globally, yielding four key insights: (1) Natural hydrogen originates from complex processes broadly categorized as organic and inorganic, predominantly including deep-Earth degassing, water-rock reactions, and radiolysis of water. (2) Hydrogen-rich accumulations exhibit widespread distribution, primarily occurring in rift systems, plate collision zones, subduction zones and their peripheries, as well as Precambrian iron-rich formations. (3) Natural hydrogen reservoirs form through dynamic accumulation processes requiring: high-quality source supply, favorable migration pathways and preservation conditions, and sustained influx exceeding leakage rates. (4) Favorable exploration targets should avoid microbial active zones and deep hydrogenation/hydrocarbon generation regions; current evidence suggests promising reservoirs occur in ultra-deep settings, peripheral areas of convergent zones, and shallow strata proximal to deep-seated faults. Exploration of natural hydrogen should prioritize evaluating the hydrogen anomalies to identify potential reservoirs and advance systematic comprehension of this emerging energy play.