“Today, helium is an essential cooling component in nuclear reactors, rockets and medical diagnostic equipment such as MRI machines. The gas keeps fiber optics, superconductors, quantum computers and semiconductors cool, but skyrocketing demand has pushed supply chains to their limit, resulting in a global shortage that has persisted for more than a decade. Helium extraction also has a huge carbon footprint — almost equivalent to the U.K.’s per year — because currently, it is exclusively produced together with natural gas.

However, in recent years, pioneering discoveries have led to a pivotal change in scientists’ understanding of the geology that helps helium accumulate. Researchers have uncovered reservoirs of primary, ‘carbon-free’ helium — large accumulations of the gas that are highly concentrated and don’t contain methane — that could revolutionize the industry.

This new understanding has fueled exploration projects in a handful of regions around the world. From Yellowstone to Greenland to the East African Rift, a helium “rush” is starting to address shortages and helium’s enormous carbon footprint.”

From Live Science.