FROZEN+METHANE+-+Michelle

__//What is it?//__
Frozen Methane is exactly what it sounds like. Frozen methane. Or in other words, it's methane locked in ice, which is called hydrates. It is also known as "fire ice", because of it's ice-like appearance and ability to burn when lit with a match. Frozen Methane is formed when a large amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, forming a solid similar to ice. Until a few weeks ago, it was thought to only occur in the outer regions of the Solar System where temperature are low, however significant deposits of frozen methane have been found under sediments on the ocean floors of earth. Geologists estimate that there are more reserves of frozen methane than there are of coal, oil and natural gas combined! Despite this, it is unknown of how much of this is recoverable. Also, Frozen Methane contains highly concentrated levels of methane, which could yield amazing energy returns. One litre of methane hydrate solid would contain about 168 litres of methane gas.

Although there are very few examples of frozen methane being used as an energy source many countries around the world are now putting forward millions of dollars in order to discover how this energy source can be used, notably Japan, India, and China. Their excitement is mainly caused by the discovery of hydrate reservoirs in their sediment banks. In fact a lot of countries which do not have gas or oil reservoirs do have hydrate reservoirs.

__//The Process// __ Scientists are currently discovering the process themselves. Unlike oil or gas reservoirs, the source of energy in Frozen Methane is solid. Therefore, the molecules are already in formation. In order for the Frozen Methane to release energy it must dissociate into water and gas. This can be done in a number of ways, you can increase temperature, decrease pressure, etc. However, the process which scientists are now trying to develop is one which will help us stop global warming. It is a process where, using carbon dioxide, methane gas will be extracted from the reservoir.

When a certain amount of pressure is applied to the cage-like structure, carbon dioxide can penetrate the layer of ice and displaces the methane. Then a new cage of frozen water molecules forms around the carbon dioxide. For each dissolved molecule of methane, up to 5 molecues of carbon dioxdie disappear into the ice cage.

__//Environmental Effects//__

There are many environmental challenges to face before Frozen Methane becomes an energy source which the world can depend on. One worrying problem for scientists is that extracting frozen methane will damage the sediment structure. After all, the hydrates are basically part of the sediment structure. The Problem can be summed up like this: Methane is extracted -> Empty spaces in Sediment -> Sediment subsides -> Sea Bed Collapses -> Large release of methane gas into the atmosphere -> Bad

This problem is even more likely to happen as the sediments which the reservoirs are in are quite shallow (600m) and are thus, not secure.

There is also the fact that Methane is still a greenhouse gas and is 21 times more damaging than Carbon Dioxide. It may be a cleaner-burning fossil fuel compared to coal or oil, but it will still release many tons of CO2. Mining of methane ice may also lead to landslides and the devastation of marine life in the mining areas. Drilling is major problem, one which will have to be solved soon if the world wants to produce Methane commercially. Drilling causes heat, which turns frozen methane into gas. This, in turn, means that the methane gas can leak uncontrollably into the sea, into the atmosphere.

This leads to the most serious challenge to face: the prevention of a sudden release of methane gas. This would have a disastrous impact on global warming, if it happened, and would likely cause a catastrophe.

__**Sources**__
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,523178,00.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/making-fire-from-ice-a-new-fuel-for-the-21st-century-420572.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/27/energy-industry-energy https://www.llnl.gov/str/Durham.html http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=646&ArticleID=6728&l=en&WT.rss_f=pr&WT.rss_a=646-6728