Primordial hydrogen-helium degassing, an overlooked major energy source for internal terrestrial processes

Arie Gilat^1,* and Alexander Vol²

The currently accepted theories concerning terrestrial processes are lacking in accounting for a source of internal energy which: (a) can be quickly focused; (b) is of very high density; (c) offers very high velocities of energy release; (d) has very high density of the energy transport and relatively small losses during transportation over long distances; (e) is quasi-constantly discharged and practically limitless. This energy release is observed during earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it is always accompanied by H- and He-degassing. During Earth's accretion primordial helium and hydrogen were trapped and stored in the planet interior as He- and H- solutions (PHHS) and compounds (PHHC), stable only under ultrahigh PT-conditions, which were discovered in recent experiments. PHHS are described step by step (for each PT-conditions): H- and He-trickling from the solid and generating convection in the liquid core, flux-melting the solid mantle and generating gas-liquid scavenging plums, their transformation from PHHS to PHHC and gradual decomposition due to decompression, all processes accompanied by energy release. The sudden chain reaction of the PHHC decomposition, triggered by decompression of the fault zone, is proposed as the practically infinite energy source for earthquakes. In the case of further decompression of the upward moving hypocenter (magmatic chamber), elemental H, O, C, S, Cl, F etc., that are liberated as a result of exothermal PHHC decomposition, will participate in the explosive reactions of synthesis (volcanic eruption), forming H₂O, S₂, H₂SO₄, CO₂H₂S, HCL, HF and other chemicals. Heat thus produced and continuous explosions neutralize adiabatic cooling, melt and bore through the solid rock, and produce all the manifestations of igneous activity in general and of volcanic eruptions in particular. ³He performs as a unique measuring device (transformer) correlative to the internal heat flow. Multiplying its flow from the lower mantle (about 2,200 mole/year) by the highest recorded coefficient of correlation, we obtain 5.12*10²⁰ J/year, which is equal to half of the present rate of heat flow from the Earth's surface, amount of energy five times greater than the energy loss involved in earthquake and volcanic activity. According to the proposed model, earthquake is a physicochemical explosion, which often results in faulting and deformations on the Earth's surface, and volcanic eruption is a particular type of recurrent earthquakes where hypocenters rise to the earth-surface; i.e., "volcanic earthquakes" are culminations of exothermal reactions which do not accompany but generate volcanic eruptions.

Keywords: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, energy sources, elastic strain, mechanism, physical, geochemistry, helium, hydrogen, compounds, degassing.