Dive into the dataset

This dataset contains data of helium isotopic composition and He/Ne ratios of present-day fluids released in hydrothermal and tectonically active areas. In the present version, the dataset incorporates peer-reviewed international literature up to 2024 and benefits from cross-referencing with data from existing databases. The dataset should be considered primarily as an initial working basis, with the prospect of becoming a continuously updated and refined repository accessible to the entire scientific community, which should spontaneously participate in the effort to keep alive this database by updating its content. Annual updates are planned for the incoming years.

Dataset design criteria

Criteria for selecting new data included the availability of full geographical coordinates or, at a minimum, sufficiently accurate location maps within the original manuscripts that allowed for the approximate determination of the sampling point’s coordinates. We have approximated their location using GIS-based georeferencing for several samples where exact geographic coordinates were not provided in the original publications. For georeferenced samples lacking geographical coordinates in the original publications, a maximum positional uncertainty of less than 10 km is estimated. During the compilation of the database, we applied the following primary criteria: (i) only data from peer-reviewed publications were included; (ii) we only considered data related to modern fluids, i.e., we excluded noble gas data from paleo-fluids, i.e. extracted from mineral inclusions; (iii) for sampling locations with multiple analyses over time, only the sample with the highest 3He/4He ratio was considered.

Dataset structure

For each data entry, the following information is provided: geographic information, isotopic composition of helium, He/Ne ratio (when available), year of publication, and bibliographic citation. The dataset includes both descriptive and quantitative geographic information. Descriptive geographic data are provided at three levels: (i) macro-region or country, (ii) geological setting or geographical region, and (iii) specific location or feature. Quantitative data includes latitude and longitude coordinates based on the WGS84 datum (decimal degrees). Helium isotopic composition and He/Ne ratio are presented in multiple formats, each in a separate column, according to the conventions employed in the original manuscripts.

Shape the dataset together

We warmly invite the scientific community to join us in improving and supporting the dataset. If you’d like to contribute, just drop us a line at noble.gas-pisa@igg.cnr.it and include a few details about your affiliation. We truly value your feedback—whether it’s corrections, new additions, or fresh ideas. To make things easier, you can use the template provided in the Download section.

Getting Around the Website

From this site, you can download the entire dataset and/or a template to be completed with new data and/or proposed corrections. These resources are available in the Download section. The site also features an interactive map showing the location of all data points. With the filter above the interactive map, you can easily zoom in on specific regions where data is available. You can consult the bibliography through the preview window on the side. From the same window, the document can also be downloaded in PDF format. The webpage further provides information about the reference publication and the email address to be used for submitting modifications or additions (noble.gas-pisa@igg.cnr.it).

Citation Notice

Users who download or make use of this dataset are kindly requested to cite the following reference in any related publications, presentations, or derived works: Gherardi F., Facca G., Pierotti L., Martinelli G., Pinti D.L. A global dataset of helium isotopic data in tectonically and hydrothermally active geological environments. Sci Data (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06375-w Proper citation ensures recognition of the authors’ work and supports the continued development and maintenance of the dataset.

License

hedb.cnr.it is a non-commercial database and online resource designed to advance quantitative understanding of the Earth system. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on hedb.cnr.it are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Disclaimer

hedb.cnr.it respects the privacy of all collaborators, contributors, and visitors to its website. Users are not required to provide personal identification, email, postal address, or institutional business telephone numbers. Only individuals contributing data or other materials for display are asked to share this information by contacting us via email at noble.gas-pisa@igg.cnr.it. hedb.cnr.it does not disclose or distribute address information to third parties.