A hydrogen atom, having entered the exosphere millions of years ago, has journeyed through various parts of the Earth. It has spent time in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the ground soil of the Amazon, and even in the steam rising off a boiling pot of spaghetti. Today, it travels 30 times faster than the speed of sound, overcoming the Earth’s gravitational pull and escaping into space. This atom is part of the roughly 90 tons of material that leak out of our atmosphere each day.
This daily atmospheric loss, equivalent to the size of a whale, is just one example of how the Earth is leaking. Atoms, energy, and molecules seep from one layer of the planet to another. For Earth, whose stability is necessary to sustain life, these leaks can seem troubling. To better understand the extent of the planet’s imperfect plumbing, and when it becomes a problem, we need to visit two more leakage sites.
Our second spot takes us to the Earth’s surface, to a field in Central Appalachia. Below, a 1,500-meter-deep shaft connects an oil reservoir with the Earth’s surface. The oil supply here is dried up, leaving the site neglected and abandoned. However, this underground reservoir also houses the potent greenhouse gas methane, which continues to travel up the shaft and escape through cracks and loose pipes. This leaky well is one of the more than 3 million abandoned wells scattered throughout the US, that collectively emit, by lower estimates, 280,000 metric tons of methane each year.
Our final leakage point takes us deep within the innermost boundary of the Earth, the core. Heat, originating from the formation of our solar system, drives the rotation of liquid metal around the solid inner core. This motion, in turn, creates the planet’s magnetic field, a barrier that protects it from cosmic radiation and solar wind. But the core isn’t perfectly insulated, so heat constantly leaks, escaping to the surrounding mantle and driving plate tectonics and magmatic activity. As a result, the core’s outer molten metal is slowly solidifying. Once fully cooled, the magnetic field will disappear, leaving us exposed to the Sun’s harshest rays.
Thankfully, the immediate risks of our hydrogen leak are low. At its current rate, it would take over 150 billion years to lose all our hydrogen to space. The same goes for our core leak. Scientists estimate the core won’t completely cool for another 700 million to several billion years. However, methane emissions have the power to alter our Earth’s climate within the next decade. The gas’s unique structure efficiently absorbs energy radiating off the Earth, trapping it in the atmosphere as heat. This gives methane incredible warming potential, 86 times that of carbon dioxide.
The impact of methane escaping from abandoned wells in the US is comparable to burning 10 billion pounds of coal each year. As abandoned wells in most of the world’s top oil producers have yet to be extensively counted or surveyed, the global emissions of all abandoned wells are likely much higher. They join the estimated 570 million tons of methane emitted by other anthropological and natural sources each year. Beyond their climate impact, these unsealed wells can leach methane and other toxic gases into nearby groundwater, contaminating drinking water and impacting local ecosystems.
Luckily, non-producing oil wells can be plugged by pumping cement into their depths. While many state and federal governments require oil and gas companies to plug defunct wells, plugging comes at a high expense, so companies have historically dodged policies. For decades, these leaky, low-producing, and economically non-viable wells were sold off and abandoned. It’s clear that oil and gas companies won’t fix this problem on their own. It’ll take concerted governmental efforts, such as placing high fees on methane emissions and coordinated oversight on plugging, to make sure companies are held accountable.
But the problem starts before these wells are abandoned. Within the US, active oil and gas production emits massive amounts of methane, about 28 times that of abandoned wells. The best way to eliminate this leak is to stop drilling oil and gas wells in the first place.
Imagine you are a hydrogen atom traveling through different parts of the Earth. Create a comic strip or storyboard that illustrates your journey from the exosphere to the Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon soil, and finally escaping into space. Be creative and include captions to explain each part of your journey.
Conduct a simple experiment to understand methane emissions. Use a small container to simulate an abandoned well and a balloon to represent methane gas. Observe what happens when the “well” is left open versus when it is “plugged” with clay or another material. Record your observations and discuss how this relates to real-world methane emissions from abandoned wells.
Build a model to demonstrate how heat transfers from the Earth’s core to the mantle. Use a small container filled with hot water to represent the core and a larger container with cooler water to represent the mantle. Observe how the heat moves from the core to the mantle and discuss how this process drives plate tectonics and magmatic activity.
Participate in a classroom debate on the topic: “Should governments impose stricter regulations on oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions?” Research both sides of the argument and prepare your points. During the debate, present your arguments and listen to your classmates’ perspectives. Reflect on the importance of addressing methane emissions.
Design a public awareness campaign to educate your community about the impact of methane emissions from abandoned wells. Create posters, social media posts, or a short video to highlight the issue and suggest solutions. Share your campaign with your classmates and discuss how raising awareness can lead to positive change.
Hydrogen atom – The simplest and lightest atom, consisting of a single proton as its nucleus and an electron orbiting around it. – The hydrogen atom is the building block of all elements in the universe.
Exosphere – The outermost layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, extending into space, where the air density is extremely low. – Satellites orbit the Earth in the exosphere.
Atlantic Ocean – The second-largest ocean in the world, located between the Americas to the west and Europe and Africa to the east. – The Atlantic Ocean is known for its strong currents and diverse marine life.
Ground soil – The uppermost layer of Earth’s crust, composed of minerals, organic matter, water, and air, which supports plant growth. – Farmers need fertile ground soil to grow healthy crops.
Steam – The gaseous state of water formed when it is heated to its boiling point and undergoes vaporization. – The steam from the kettle rose into the air.
Speed of sound – The rate at which sound waves travel through a medium, such as air or water. – The speed of sound is approximately 343 meters per second in dry air at room temperature.
Gravitational pull – The force exerted by a mass, such as a planet or star, that attracts objects towards it. – The gravitational pull of the moon causes ocean tides on Earth.
Space – The vast expanse that exists beyond Earth’s atmosphere, containing stars, planets, galaxies, and other celestial objects. – Astronauts travel to space to conduct scientific experiments.
Leakage – The unintended escape or release of a substance, usually a liquid or gas, through a crack, hole, or other opening. – The plumber fixed the pipe to prevent any water leakage.
Stability – The state of being firm, steady, or unchanging, often referring to the ability of an object or system to maintain its equilibrium. – The architecture of the ancient pyramids demonstrates remarkable stability.
