Methane Hydrate

Methane hydrate (clathrate) is an ice-like solid in which methane molecules are caged in a water lattice, stable only under the high pressure and low temperature found in continental-slope sediments and permafrost. Vast quantities sit within the gas-hydrate stability zone; warming or pressure change can dissociate them, releasing methane and reducing sediment strength, a recognized trigger for submarine slope failure and a potential climate feedback. They are studied as both a hazard and an energy resource.