As the energy transition accelerates, naturally occurring hydrogen (H₂) is gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Formed through the serpentinization of mantle rocks, natural H₂ has the potential to accumulate in reservoirs and be extracted—but understanding where to find it is key.
Join Dr. Frank Zwaan as he explores how plate tectonic simulations helps trace when and where mantle rocks enter the serpentinization window, generating large volumes of natural hydrogen. Learn why rift-inversion orogens—like the Alps, Pyrenees, and the Balkans—could be the next frontier for H₂ exploration and how recent fieldwork is reinforcing this theory.
We’ll try to answer these questions:
🔎 What are the best geological conditions for natural hydrogen generation and accumulation?
⚡ How can tectonic simulations improve exploration success?
🏔️ What can recent field discoveries tell us about H₂’s true potential?
📅 March 13, 2025 | 🕒 3 PM CET | 🌍 Online Webinar
🔗 Reserve your spot today!
REGISTER HERE
As the energy transition is gathering steam, naturally occurring hydrogen gas (H2) generated by the serpentinization of mantle rocks is a highly promising sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. To undergo serpentinization, mantle rocks that are normally situated at great depth need to be brought closer to the surface (exhumed) by plate tectonics and other geodynamic processes. This happens in (1) rifts and ocean basins that open as continents are broken apart, and (2) in mountain ranges formed as continents move back together and close the basin again. Once exhumed, mantle rocks may react with water to efficiently serpentinize and generate natural H2, which can accumulate in reservoirs as it migrates to the surface (as part of a natural H2 system), and be drilled and extracted.
Exploiting natural H2 systems requires a solid understanding of their dynamic history, which can be informed by numerical plate tectonic simulations. Through such simulations, we can trace how, when, and where mantle material enters the serpentinization window (here defined as 200-350˚C), as well as when active, large-scale faults penetrate exhumed mantle bodies in this temperature window, which allow for water circulation and serpentinization to occur. The simulation of rifting and continental break-up, and subsequent basin closure and mountain building shows that, although serpentinization-related natural H2 generation is best known from rift environments, yearly volumes of natural H2 generated in mountain ranges may be up to 20 times higher than in rift environments.
Moreover, suitable reservoir rocks (for example sandstones) and seal rocks (for example clays) that are required for the development of exploitable natural H2 accumulations are readily available in mountain ranges. By contrast, such reservoir and seal rocks are, crucially, not likely to be present when bulk serpentinization occurs in rift environments. These insights provide a first-order motivation to turn to mountain ranges for natural H2 exploration. This motivation is further reinforced by recent fieldwork yielding indications of natural H2 generation in settings such as the Alps and Pyrenees, as well as in the Dinarids on the Balkan peninsula.
Dr. Frank Zwaan
Dr. Frank Zwaan is geoscientist at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). His expertise is in structural geology and tectonics, including rifting / continental break-up and basin inversion / mountain building, and the simulation of such processes using both laboratory and numerical methods. His current work is motivated by the need for new natural resources and renewable energy, in particular naturally occurring hydrogen gas (H2), and the positive role geoscientists can play in shaping the energy transition. Frank studied in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Rennes (France), with a MSc Thesis at Shell, before earning a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Bern (Switzerland) in 2017. His postgraduate career involved stints at the University of Florence (Italy), Bern once more, GFZ Potsdam (Germany), before landing in Lausanne.
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