'Fuel of the future' has been discovered in Minnesota
Earth.com••health
Key Points:
- Helium-3, a rare isotope usually associated with the Moon, has been discovered in measurable amounts beneath forests and wetlands in northern Minnesota, with concentrations comparable to lunar samples from the Apollo missions.
- The helium-3 found at the Topaz Project near Babbitt is trapped in nitrogen-rich gas deep underground, likely generated over billions of years by uranium-rich bedrock and preserved by geological formations.
- Helium-3 is highly valuable, commanding prices around nine million dollars per pound, and is critical for technologies such as neutron detection, quantum computing refrigeration, and potential fusion energy fuel.
- Minnesota is developing regulations and addressing environmental concerns as companies explore helium-3 extraction, which could provide a domestic supply alternative to politically sensitive imports
