Among the Deep Carbon Lab's expeditions in search of traces of geological hydrogen, that to the Lofoten Islands in Norway is the most complex, but it is also the one that could potentially represent a turning point in research into the origin of life. Exactly one year after their studies in Greenland, geologists and biologists from the University of Bologna have returned to the far north, this time to the Lofoten Islands, land of cod fishing and the “midnight sun”, but also a true outdoor paradise. Finding molecular hydrogen in one of the oldest areas on earth is a real mission. The rocks on the surface originated almost 2.5 billion years ago, at a depth of over 50 km (those studied in previous expeditions were at most 20-30 km deep). The high temperatures at the top of the mantle and intense plate tectonic activities have practically obliterated all traces of hydrogen. Like “rock detectives”, the researchers have ten days to travel around the most geologically interesting areas of the Norwegian archipelago, searching for the primordial element for life or spies of its existence.

The star of the hydrogen hunt is anorthosite, a rock formed by the cooling of magma deep within the earth that abounds in the area surrounding Nusfjord. Magnetite, which characterises the contrasting light and dark colours of the sand on the beach at Kvalvika further north, also has the same magmatic origin. Its high ferrous component makes it heavy and difficult to transport, which is why it draws strange shapes in the rivulets of water that run along the beach. But the mineral is especially interesting in the eyes of geologists. Reacting with water, this mineral traps oxygen and releases hydrogen, which in turn can bind to other oxygen chains and generate water from combustion.

Of a different nature, however, is the expanse of rock on the Langøya plain in the heart of Norway. In order to collect samples for later analysis in the laboratory, researchers need access to the lower layers of the earth's crust, where the molecular structure is more solid. To go tens of kilometres into the Earth's crust would be impossible, but here the movements of the continents have brought to the surface deep, ancient patches of crust. Using an instrument called a susceptivimeter, rocks with a high magnetite content and a low level of alteration caused by erosion are identified and collected. In order to locate the ideal rocks, the surface has to be broken by hammer blows. A laborious process, which is further complicated by the constant changes in the weather. Field work often has to be postponed until late in the evening, but the midnight sun of the Norwegian summer allows this.

The team made by Alberto, Ella, Orlando, Thomas, Claudia and Jacopo is back. Backpacks are heavy, about 150 kilos of samples were collected along the coasts and fjords of Lofoten. A possible turning points for a sustainable energy in the future may come. Microscopic studies in the coming weeks will be able to determine the contribution of these rocks to the theory of the formation of life, underground and perhaps on the Earth's surface and seas.

" Thirteen days in southwest Greenland, searching for natural hydrogen — a likely source of energy for the first terrestrial life forms and a possible clean energy resource for human activities. Despite unforeseen events and bad weather, the research conducted on the rocks of Greenland could represent a turning point for the ERC DeepSeep project.

After landing in Nuuk and obtaining their permits for scientific activities, the team from the Deep Carbon Lab in Bologna, joined by a researcher from the National Research Council in Turin and another from the University of Copenhagen, heads south. The navigation conditions are not easy due to the drift of the glaciers, which have never been so abundant in the last 20–30 years. These conditions contrast starkly with those experienced in the rest of the world, where (yet another) hottest month in history has been recorded.

Here it’s essential to be faster than the expected storm and reach the first stop: the coastal village of Paamiut, to maintain the expedition schedule. Losing a few days could compromise the entire expedition. The team needs to collect as many rock samples as possible with a hammer and chisel. Like detectives, with magnifying glass in hand, the researchers are hunting for clues on the interaction between hydrogen and carbon present in particular rocks dating back almost 2 billion years ago and emerging on the surface over geological eras.

Like industrial hydrogen, natural hydrogen produces water (and not CO2) through combustion, but its production requires no external energy source. This is why discovering how this natural hydrogen originates and how it reacts with the rocks of the Earth’s crust could lead to the exploitation of clean energy naturally present underground. A momentous change, made up of intermediate steps and months of study at the microscope.

" In Paamiut, the researchers collect some samples brought to the surface by work on a construction site near the small airport. An object of study obtained at a stop imposed by the weather and ocean conditions — conditions that make Greenland a remote and complex region still today.

When the sky clears, it’s time to set sail again toward the second stage: Arsuk, five hours of navigation, among fjords and icebergs, further south. Once again, the team expects rain, wind that moves the sea ice and reconfigures the profile of the coast, and rough water. The rock formations that the researchers want to get their hands on are on the small island facing Arsuk. Breaking some test rocks seems to reveal structures similar to those studied in other areas, confirming the presence of hydrogen.

" “In the coming months, we’ll know more after the laboratory studies, but our preliminary observations confirm the preconditions for a potentially important discovery,” explains Alberto Vitale Brovarone, the geologist leading the expedition.

The next stop, on the tiny island of Storø, turns out to be equally surprising. Near a small bay, a rainbow of minerals under the microscope lens shows the effects of contact metamorphism. Underground magmatic activity may also have been caused by the formation of hydrogen, but of a different type. The researchers take notes.

The return to Arsuk allows the team to collect other rocks, near the Ivittuut mine, containing cryolite. In that area, previous research revealed the presence of methane in the rock fluid, which could have reacted perfectly with hydrogen. Another item to add to the backpack. In the end, the researchers collected more than 200 rock samples during the expedition.

A scientific expedition that, hopefully, will add another puzzle piece to the theory of natural hydrogen and increase awareness of the potential to take a significant step — one that is necessary for future generations.