Mysterious Structures at 3,000 Meters Beneath the Pacific May Emit Over 5 Billion in Hydrogen Each Year--No Drilling Req

A Live Streaming Session From More Than 32,808 Feet Under The Surface Of The Sea Has Captured China's Manned Submersible. CCTV/Weibo | The Daily Galaxy

Mysterious Structures at 3,000 Meters Beneath the Pacific May Emit Over €5 Billion in Hydrogen Each Year—No Drilling Required

DailyGalaxy.com | Arezki Amiri | August 24, 2025

Researchers from the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) published a study in Science Advances detailing the discovery of a massive, hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system in the western Pacific Ocean. Located west of the Mussau Trench, the system lies within the Caroline tectonic plate, at a depth of more than 3,000 meters, in a region previously thought geologically unremarkable.

This newly named Kunlun hydrothermal field covers over 11 square kilometers, making it more than 100 times the size of the Atlantic’s well-known Lost City vent system. But it’s not just size that sets Kunlun apart.


Using the Fendouzhe manned submersible and in situ Raman spectroscopy, the research team measured hydrogen concentrations of 5.9 to 6.8 mmol/kg in diffuse hydrothermal fluids. Combined with flow velocity and discharge mapping, the team estimated an annual hydrogen output of 4.8 × 10¹¹ moles, which equates to about 1 million metric tons of molecular hydrogen per year. That’s roughly 5% of the total natural underwater hydrogen flux worldwide—coming from a single site.

Hydrogen From the Deep more
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/08/mysterious-structures-beneath-the-pacific-emit-over-e5-billion-in-hydrogen/


Low Res Hydrothermal Activities And Distribution Of Pipe Swarms On The Subducting Plate Near The Mussau Trench. Credit: IOCAS