Secure and reliable energy is critical to U.S. national security, especially as the demand for clean fuels used in electric power generation, manufacturing, and transportation become a priority. Factors including population growth, the increasing energy needs of data centers, reshoring of manufacturing, and the electrification of transport and other sectors are straining our ability to meet energy demands (Goldman Sachs, 2025). To address this, the U.S. is actively exploring the potential of clean, low-carbon hydrogen as a new, abundant, and domestic energy source. Hydrogen has the potential to strengthen our nation’s current energy portfolio across economic sectors because it produces zero greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use, making it a versatile fuel suitable for transportation, industrial processes, and power generation. The goal is to make hydrogen a cost-effective and readily available option to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a cleaner energy future.
What is Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and the lightest element on the periodic table with the symbol H and atomic number 1 (see Figure 1). Most notably, it is found in water, which combines two atoms of hydrogen with one oxygen atom (H2O), as well as in hydrocarbons such as natural gas, coal, and petroleum (hydrogen combined with carbon), and ammonia (hydrogen combined with nitrogen).
Hydrogen is a promising energy source because it has the highest energy density by weight of any common fuel (about three times more than gasoline). However, it also has the lowest energy density by volume as a liquid — about four times less than gasoline — meaning that it takes up a lot of space for the energy it stores. Although storing enough hydrogen to power a vehicle is a challenge, a key advantage of hydrogen fuels is that they can be reacted with oxygen to produce energy; unlike internal combustion engines, which burn gasoline and release carbon dioxide, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles only produce water as a byproduct.
Figure 1. Periodic Table of the Elements showing hydrogen with the symbol H and atomic number 1.
Geologic hydrogen (naturally occurring hydrogen, or “white” or “gold” hydrogen) refers to hydrogen sourced or released from underground rocks by natural processes. Hydrogen can be generated naturally by several processes (examples shown in Figure 2).
- Serpentinization, in which water oxidizes iron-rich minerals in rocks (such as olivine and pyroxene), typically at high temperature and pressure at depth below Earth’s surface. Oxygen from the water binds with iron in the rock, leaving behind free hydrogen.
- Radiolysis, in which natural radiation from radioactive elements present in rocks (primarily isotopes of uranium, thorium, or potassium), breaks down water molecules (H2O), to produce free hydrogen.
- Biological activity, in which hydrogen is produced by microbial life during metabolism (metabolic hydrogen or biohydrogen), such as through fermentation or nitrogen fixation.
- Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons, in which organic matter deep within crustal basins break down to form hydrogen.
Figure 2. Geologic hydrogen is produced via three primary subsurface processes: hydrothermal alteration, radiolysis, and deep mantle degassing. Image from https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/potential-geologic-hydrogen-next-generation-energy
These natural processes can be replicated and engineered to increase the rate of hydrogen production. For instance, hydrogen is produced from fossil-fuel natural gas (grey or blue hydrogen: see Figure 3) using a process known as steam methane reforming. Critically though, this process uses large amounts of energy and produces substantial amounts of carbon dioxide as a by-product. Alternatively, hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis of water, which although energy-intensive, can have a very low environmental impact if using 100% renewable (green hydrogen) or nuclear (pink or purple hydrogen) energy sources.
Figure 3. The hydrogen rainbow, used to distinguish between
different kinds of hydrogen. (Image from Skillen et al., 2022)
Recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports (Ellis & Gelman, 2024; Gelman et al., 2025) suggest that geologic hydrogen exists in quantities large enough to make a significant contribution to the U.S. energy portfolio. Figure 2 illustrates the three main sources of geologic hydrogen.
One of the primary natural mechanisms for hydrogen production is serpentinization: the hydration of ferrous (Fe2+) iron–bearing minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene, in mantle peridotites. Serpentinization is an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction, in which the ferrous iron (Fe2+) is oxidized to ferric iron (Fe3+), and the water (H2O) is reduced to molecular hydrogen (H2). The hydrogen released can migrate upward toward Earth’s surface, or it may react with subsurface compounds and minerals.
Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has shown that nitrite-rich (NO2-) water can also react with these ultramafic rocks to produce ammonia (NH3) in the subsurface. Ammonia is a crucial component in nitrogen-based fertilizers, as well as being used for cleaning products and refrigerants, making it the our most produced chemical. The dominant process of synthesizing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen involves reacting the two gases at very high temperatures (the Haber-Bosch process), making it a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Geologic ammonia production, on the other hand, would require no external hydrogen supply or heating, hence could vastly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
How is Hydrogen Used?
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier traditionally used in oil and gas refining, rocket fuel, fertilizer production, and has a growing range of applications in the U.S., particularly as a pathway towards a cleaner energy system.
Historical Uses:
Small hydrogen seeps (see Figure 4) have been identified on the flanks of Mount St. Helens in Washington State (labelled #11 in Figure 4) and in several locations across California. To date, no hydrogen seeps have been detected in Oregon. However, DOGAMI is equipped with portable gas analyzers, which can detect elevated hydrogen levels, and plans to deploy them in prospective areas.
The USGS recently released the first hydrogen prospectivity map for potential geologic hydrogen accumulations in the conterminous U.S. (Gelman et al., 2025). Prospectivity is considered in terms of the three main ingredients, that would be required to generate and store natural hydrogen: a
source of hydrogen generation, a
reservoir to store the hydrogen, and a
seal to prevent it escaping. Values for hydrogen prospectivity, as represented by the color-bar in the USGS maps, represent the chance of sufficiency (COS), which is a probability that a location has each of those three ingredients: values of COS are not a guarantee that there will be an amount of hydrogen in place, but rather represent the likelihood the ingredients are present. A COS value of 0 would mean it is impossible to have all the ingredients, whereas a value of 1 means it is absolutely certain the ingredients are there and work.
The USGS hydrogen prospectivity map for the conterminous U.S., shown in Figure 5, indicates that the combined chance of sufficiency (compounding the likelihood that a source, reservoir, and seal are all in place) for hydrogen across much of Oregon is relatively low, with the exception of areas in the Coastal Ranges in the west: the highs indicated in Curry, Coos, Josephine, and Douglas Counties. Filtering the prospectivity model to consider only the “source rocks”, as shown in Figure 6, highlights areas in Oregon with rock types considered highly prospective for hydrogen generation, from both deep and serpentinite (ultramafic) sources. For instance, the filtered geologic map shown in Figure 7, derived from the Oregon Geologic Data Compilation (after Darin et al., 2025), highlights the distribution of ultramafic rocks (for example, the rock sample shown in Figure 8, collected from the north flank of the Strawberry Mountains, Grant County) at the surface in Baker, Grant, Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Josephine Counties. As noted earlier, this is not a guarantee that hydrogen will be present, nor how much hydrogen could be produced; the next step would be to test the model through additional data collection.
Figure 5. Map showing prospectivity (P) of geologic hydrogen in the conterminous United States.
Deep blue is high; green is low. The map is Figure 11 in Gelman and others (2025).
Figure 6. Hydrogen prospectivity associated with serpentinization (left) and deep sources in the U.S. (right).
Adapted from Figures 2E and 5D in Gelman et al., (2025).
Figure 7. (A) DOGAMI map of ultramafic rocks in Oregon; rocks that originated as part of an oceanic plate that have been brought up toward Earth’s surface from the mantle in a tectonic process known as obduction. The surface geologic data is extracted from the Oregon Geologic Data Compilation, release 8 (OGDC-8; Darin et al., 2025; https://www.oregon.gov/dogami/pubs/Pages/dds/p-OGDC-8.aspx). (B) Hydrogen prospectivity associated with serpentinization in Oregon (adapted from Figure 2E in Gellman et al., 2025).
Figure 8. Ultramafic rock with high-iron content from the Strawberry Mountains, Grant County, Oregon. The sample shown in the photo is from the Paleozoic/Mesozoic Baker Terrane, a complexly deformed assemblage of deep ocean floor, island arc, and mélange deposits associated with the accreted terrane (Darin and others, 2025).
The USGS prospectivity models suggest that Oregon has a high potential for hydrogen sources, both at the surface (for example, Figure 7B), and at depth (Figures 7B and 9). Those models provide a useful basis for early exploration work in Oregon and can be used as a guide for future geologic mapping and rock characterization specifically for geologic hydrogen potential. In addition, statewide geophysical datasets, such as magnetic and gravity data, will help to infer the expression of ultramafic rocks at depth. DOGAMI aims to conduct future geologic mapping and exploration with the aim of refining models for hydrogen potential.
Figure 9. Hydrogen prospectivity associated with deep sources in Oregon (adapted from Figure 5D in Gellman et al., 2025).
Next Steps
In DOGAMI's role as a regulatory and geoscience survey, we intend to facilitate the research and development of geologic hydrogen resources in Oregon. The next steps would be to collect geophysical data, such as gravity, electromagnetic, and seismic-reflection data to further characterize the shallow subsurface and evaluate the potential for hydrogen sources, reservoirs, and seals in various parts of the state. Data collected through the installation of stratigraphic test wells could be used to further evaluate subsurface conditions. Notably, exploration is classified as an outright land use in Oregon; exploration projects need only landowner approval to proceed to DOGAMI permitting.
Community Outreach and Engagement
Research and exploration of geologic hydrogen resources by DOGAMI will be guided by outreach and engagement with communities and Tribal Nations in every step of the process. Using information collected through surveys, focus groups, in-person engagement events, and existing demographic data sources, DOGAMI will work with potentially impacted stakeholders to create and maintain open channels of communication for the exchange of information between communities and agency staff. By engaging with community stakeholders early and often, DOGAMI endeavors to understand community concerns and perspectives to inform ongoing project planning while openly and directly addressing community concerns.
DOGAMI understands that different communities have different needs. As such, outreach and engagement activities will be accessible, geographically varied, and tailored to individual audiences. By putting community collaboration at the forefront of the research and development process, and incorporating industry-established best practices, DOGAMI will fulfill its mission of providing earth science information and regulation to make Oregon safe and prosperous.
References
Darin MH, McClaughry JD, Azzopardi CJM, Franczyk JJ, Madin IP. 2025. Oregon geologic data compilation, release 9 (OGDC-8). DOGAMI Digital Data Series OGDC-8
Ellis, G.S. and Gelman, S.E., 2024. Model predictions of global geologic hydrogen resources. Science Advances, 10(50), p.eado0955.
Gelman, S.E., Hearon, J.S. and Ellis, G.S., 2025. Prospectivity mapping for geologic hydrogen (No. 1900). US Geological Survey. Skillen, N., Daly, H., Lan, L. et al. Photocatalytic Reforming of Biomass: What Role Will the Technology Play in Future Energy Systems. Top Curr Chem (Z) 380, 33 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-022-00391-9
Goldman Sachs, 2025. The Power Industry May Need More Than 750,000 New Workers by 2030. https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/power-industry-may-need-more-workers-by-2030
Zgonnik, V., 2020. The occurrence and geoscience of natural hydrogen: A comprehensive review. Earth-Science Reviews, 203, p.103140.