Is Earth's Helium Running Out? - Total Helium (2024)

FAQs

Is Earth's Helium Running Out? - Total Helium? ›

Once helium is released in the atmosphere, it will continue rising until it escapes into space, making it the only truly unrecoverable element. Helium in recoverable quantities is found in only a few locations around the world, and these sources are being rapidly depleted.

As helium is a non-renewable resource, the Earth is certainly running out of it. Why is the world running out of helium? Helium is the only element on the periodic table which is a non-renewable resource on Earth.

Helium resources of the world, exclusive of the United States, were estimated to be about 31.3 billion cubic meters (1.13 trillion cubic feet).

Scientists estimate that, at the current rate of global consumption, there is a supply of helium for 100-200 more years.

Helium is a non-renewable resource found in recoverable quantities in only a few locations around the world, many of which are being depleted.

Helium is the only element on the planet that is a completely nonrenewable resource. On Earth, helium is generated deep underground through the natural radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium.

“In our lifetime it might not run out, but for humanity it has a finite supply. We can't make any more.” Helium is the second-most-abundant element in the universe, but on Earth it's relatively rare.

Unprecedented helium shortages

Helium markets have experienced a series of extended periods of short supply since 2006. In fact, 2022 was the eighth year of supply deficits during the 17-year period between 2006-2022.

The global helium shortage has become a growing concern in recent years as the world's supply of this important gas has dwindled. A rare and valuable resource, helium is used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, electronics, and aerospace.

Do we waste helium? This really depends on what one means by 'wasting', but in a simple sense, yes… nearly all the helium we use is done in a one-time fashion that is then released to the atmosphere. Balloons are obvious, but use of helium in MRIs and superconducting magnets also allows for the escape of the helium.

Who owns most of the helium? ›

As of 2022, the reserves of helium in the United States amounted to more than 8.5 billion cubic meters, making it the country with the largest reserves of helium globally.

This nonrenewable element is found deep within the Earth's crust and is in short supply, according to NBC reports. The global helium shortage is due mainly to decreased supply from major producers, including Russia which has curtailed production since the war in Ukraine, according to The Harvard Crimson.

Argon can be used instead of Helium and is favoured for some metals. Helium is used for many lighter-than-air applications, and Hydrogen is a possible substitute for many where the flammability of Hydrogen is not a concern.

The most abundant planetary constituents in the universe are hydrogen and helium. In our own solar system, it is estimated that >70% of the planetary mass is of this form, with most of it residing in Jupiter and most of it in a metallic state.

Limit wasteful use of helium, and recycle that which we do use. For cryogenic applications, this means installing a closed re-circulation system to re-compress helium which comes out of the exhaust of a cryogenic system.

The problem is that helium-3 is extremely scarce on Earth. This isotope comes mostly from the solar wind, but the Earth is protected under the shield of its atmosphere and its magnetic field.