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 help 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.

This course examines how large-scale tectonic processes control the generation and accumulation of natural hydrogen within the Earth’s lithosphere. It integrates numerical tectonic simulations with field-based observations to evaluate how mantle exhumation, temperature conditions, fluid circulation, and basin evolution interact to create viable hydrogen systems.

The focus is on understanding mountain-building and rifting cycles as key geological environments where hydrogen generation via serpentinization can occur, and how these insights translate into real-world exploration strategies.