This is a great question. As we mentioned in our Up, Up, and Away video, the helium we have today comes from natural gas deposits, some of the largest of which are in the U.S. But how did the helium get there? Well, mostly from radioactivity. As certain radioactive elements, like uranium, decay, they release a type of radiation called Alpha Particles. Alpha particles are basically helium atoms only without electrons. When this decay happens deep in the Earth, the alpha particles pick up electrons and become helium. Then, the helium gas is captured under impermeable rock layers, like those that hold natural gas.
Daniel
November 18, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hey, this is great.
I don’t know why, but I find this a very interesting topic, and have even blogged about it myself. My Nuclear Chemistry professor taught us about where helium came from by starting with a story about how he lost his favorite balloon, and began to wonder where the Helium that made it float away came from.
Here is a link to my blog, you can find the actual blog in the blog archive- http://www.diyeinstein.com
A related article explains how our smoke alarms are radioactive (alpha particles–>Helium!)
Mr.O
November 18, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for the link! This was one posed to me first by my students when I taught middle school. I knew that we pulled it from natural gas deposits, but I had never done the research until asked. For some reason I get a little smile when I think that the helium in my balloon is a by-product of radioactive decay.
Alecia
November 20, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Where is the Up, Up and Away video? We can no longer find it.
Thanks,