Methane hydrate

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/methane-hydrate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the formation conditions?Low temperatures (typically <15°C) and high pressures (>3-4 MPa)
2. What is the global carbon reservoir?Estimated to contain more carbon than all known conventional fossil fuels
3. What is methane hydrate and why does it look like ice?Methane hydrate is a special ice-like rock that traps methane gas inside a lattice of water molecules. It forms when cold temperatures and high pressure keep the water molecules in a solid cage around the methane.
4. Where can we find methane hydrate in the world?It is found deep under the ocean in sea sediments and also in frozen ground called permafrost where the temperatures stay below freezing.

Clathrate: A crystalline solid where guest molecules are trapped within a host lattice structure.
Methanogenesis: The biological production of methane, typically by microorganisms in anaerobic environments.
Thermodynamic Stability: The condition under which a substance remains stable based on temperature and pressure.