Helium gas is essential for many essential functions, including the operation of MRI scanners. For the first time, this new study, which also involved the University of Toronto and Durham University, provides an answer. According to the model, the helium-rich gas bubbles then collect beneath the seal and form a substantial gas field. The model also suggests regions where large amounts of hydrogen gas may accumulate underground, since the radioactivity that generates helium also splits water to form hydrogen. Virtually all hydrogen gas is currently produced from coal and natural gas (methane), and this alone accounts for 2.3% of global CO2 emissions.
