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Enough helium discovered to fill more than a million medical MRI scanners

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Elegran Tue 28-Jun-16 23:31:15

Geologists have discovered a new source of helium in the Rift Valley in Tanzania.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36651048

. Resources in just one part of the Rift valley are enough to fill more than a million medical MRI scanners.
. It is also used in spacecraft, telescopes and radiation monitors,
. in the space industry to keep satellite instruments cool,
. to clean out rocket engines and was used to cool the liquid oxygen and hydrogen that powered the Apollo space vehicles, as a cooling medium for the Large Hadron Collider,
. to fill party balloons, weather balloons and airships because of its low density,
. a mixture of 80% helium and 20% oxygen is used by deep-sea divers and others working under pressurised conditions
. helium-neon gas lasers are used to scan barcodes at supermarket checkouts.

Until now, the precious gas has been discovered only in small quantities during oil and gas drilling. The amount of helium newly discovered is estimated at more than 54 billion cubic feet - which could potentially meet global demand for several years.

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Alea Tue 28-Jun-16 23:43:31

I heard this on the car radio on my way home tonight.
An amazing discovery, but to my shame I half expected the reporter to tell us about it in a high squeaky voice! blush

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Nelliemoser Tue 28-Jun-16 23:47:42

Think of all those very squeaky voiced scientists there will be.

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Teetime Wed 29-Jun-16 09:19:06

Me too I immediately thought of squeaky voices - its good news though isn't it. Our world (all of it) is full of untapped resources.

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vampirequeen Wed 29-Jun-16 09:21:23

That's amazing.

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annodomini Wed 29-Jun-16 10:03:02

I must admit that my first thought on reading this was why hasn't Tanzania floated off into the stratosphere. blush It's good news for their economy. I hope it won't be exploited by unscrupulous multi-nationals.

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Elegran Wed 29-Jun-16 10:14:15

I hope it doesn't all get put into silver party balloons with Disney images on them, to burst out and escape up into the stratosphere. Fat lot of use to MRI scanners it'll be then.

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Greyduster Wed 29-Jun-16 11:10:52

The problem with all these untapped resources in third world countries is that the Chinese are moving in and buying up vast tracts of land to rape for their natural resources before anyone else can take advantage of them. Not only I'm third world countries either - Australia. It seems that they already have a monopoly on rare earth minerals, so that everyone else has to go cap in hand to buy them to keep their industries afloat. The Arabs, on the other hand are similarly buying up vast tracts of other countries' land to provide for their food resources.

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breeze Wed 29-Jun-16 16:21:48

I watched that report bemused. Apparently it was in short supply???? and it's extracted, not manufactured (there is SO much I don't know!!!). And who thought it was o.k. to inhale from balloons and make everyone laugh! While it was in short supply! Must confess, didn't realise it was used for so many serious purposes though. You live and learn.

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