Zwaan, Frank Brune, Sascha Glerum, Anne C. Vasey, Dylan A. Naliboff, John B. Manatschal, Gianreto Gaucher, Eric C. 2025 Naturally occurring hydrogen gas (H2) represents a potential source of clean energy. A promising mechanism for large-scale natural H2 generation is serpentinization of exhumed mantle material. We study this serpentinization-related H2 generation during rifting and subsequent rift-inversion orogen development using numerical geodynamic models. Serpentinization-related H2 generation is best known from rifted margins and spreading ridges. However, because orogens are colder than rift environments, conditions for serpentinization and natural H2 generation are considerably better in orogenic settings: We find that yearly H2 generation capacity from serpentinization in the overriding mantle wedge during rift inversion may be up to 20 times larger than during rifting. Moreover, suitable reservoirs and seals required for economic H2 accumulations to form are readily available in rift-inversion orogens but are likely absent during bulk serpentinization in rift settings. Together with indications of ongoing natural H2 generation in the Balkans and Pyrenees, our model results provide a first-order motivation for natural H2 exploration in rift-inversion orogens. application/pdf https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/331085 https://folia.unifr.ch/documents/331085/files/zwaan_etal_science_advances_2025.pdf eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr3418 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess CC BY Science Advances. - Washington, US : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2025, vol. 11, no. 8, p. 1-15 Natural H2 georesources green energy tectonics geodynamics energy exploration geology numerical modelling info:eu-repo/classification/udc/55 Rift-inversion orogens are potential hot spots for natural H₂ generation http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501