Where did they get the helium for my balloon?

[guitarmax_99]

I've always wondered where they managed to find helium on earth. It is too lite to be held by Earth's gravity and most helium in the atmosphere escaped into space long ago. Furthermore it is inert, so it's not like they could find it and extract it from a more complicated molecule. So where do they find sources of He on Earth?

[Yossarian]

The helium in your ballon most likely comes from Amarillo, Texas...

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/2216/

Sorry, I'm not up on the geology of He resources, but maybe that link can help.

[Beadalin]

I asked this very question (more or less) a few months ago. The other posters gave some great answers:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=46854

Basically, as Pantellerite has pointed out, the helium is mined from a spot in Texas.