Zutao Ouyang: The Global Hydrogen Budget and Its Climate Implications

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to play a major role in decarbonizing the global energy system. However, atmospheric hydrogen is not climate neutral. Through chemical interactions with methane (CH4), ozone (O3), and stratospheric water vapor, rising H2 concentrations can indirectly influence radiative forcing and atmospheric oxidation capacity. These feedback raise important questions about the climate other environmental implications of a future hydrogen economy. In this talk, I will present our updated global hydrogen budget for 2010–2020 and long-term trends in major sources and sinks from 1990 to 2020. I will also quantify the climate impacts associated with recent increases in atmospheric H2 and assess projected effects under future scenarios. Finally, I will discuss some coupling between H2 and CH4 cycling and how these interactions shape hydrogen’s climate consequences and global budget.

Bio

Dr. Zutao Ouyang is an Assistant Professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment at Auburn University, where he leads the Earth Modeling and Observation group. His research examines environmental change to advance sustainability by integrating ground-based measurements, satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and process-based models across local, regional, and global scales. As a central focus of his work, Dr. Ouyang models and quantifies the sources and sinks of methane and hydrogen from both anthropogenic and natural origins.