Helium! Massive deposit discovered under Tanzania "a game-changer"

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36651048

Helium, one of the most abundant elements in the universe, is rare on Earth because it is so lightweight most of it has "leaked" out of our upper atmosphere and gone forever.

Helium is INCREDIBLY useful in scientific instruments, including MRI scanners and the Large Hadron Collider, spaceship parts, telescopes, radiation monitors and deep-sea diving. It also makes for safer lighter-than-air travel than explosive hydrogen.

Now using new exploration techniques, researchers have discovered a gigantic helium deposit under the Rift valley in Tanzania.

Prof Chris Ballentine, of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, said: "This is a game-changer for the future security of society's helium needs and similar finds in the future may not be far away."

And colleague Dr Pete Barry added: 'We can apply this same strategy to other parts of the world with a similar geological history to find new helium resources. "

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WriterDude said:

I had been worried about this for some time.

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Yeah, me too. That's why I started jumping up and down when I saw the news story this morning.