Methane hydrate, an icelike material made of compressed natural gas, burns when lit and can be found in some regions of the seafloor and in Arctic permafrost.
Methane hydrate, an icelike material made of compressed natural gas, burns when lit and can be found in some regions of the seafloor and in Arctic permafrost.
Thought to be the world’s largest source of natural gas, methane hydrate is a potential fuel source. If it “melts” and releases methane gas into the atmosphere, it is a potent greenhouse gas. For these reasons, knowing where methane hydrate might be located, and how much is likely there, is important.
A team of researchers from Sandia and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have developed a new system to model the likelihood of finding methane hydrate and methane gas that was tested in a region of seafloor off the coast of North Carolina.
Read more at: Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia researchers used advanced computer models to predict the likelihood of finding methane hydrate, an ice-like material made of compressed natural gas that burns when lit. (Photo Credit: U.S. Geological Survey)
