Japan looks to methane under sea floor

Cosmos Online ^ | 15 Aug 2012 | Achim Eberhart

[rjbemsha]

Large quantities of methane gas are stored as ice-like gas hydrates below the ocean floor and these could be used as an energy source, a Japanese geologist said....“One cubic metre of gas hydrate contains 164 cubic metres of methane,” said Ryo Matsumoto from the University of Tokyo, who presented his research at the 34th International Geological Congress in Brisbane, Australia. “Gas hydrates are very effective containers of methane.”....estimates suggest that the total amount of carbon contained in gas hydrates could match or even exceed that bound in fossil fuels.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Traditional greeting just before drilling:

"Here. Pull my finger."

[Docbarleypop]

SA as in Super America gas stations? then i would lose my SA customer points! thats my retirement fund! just made myself sad

[Paladin2]

Saudi Arabiastan

[bruinbirdman]

"The trouble is that mining methane ice is very risky, as it is close to the temperature of sublimation, and the entire methane ice field could have a chain reaction . . . This would be bad."

IIRC earth's original atmosphere was mostly methane. It took billions of years for it to dissolve and settle to the ocean floors resulting in the unique atmosphere we have now.

The methane ice layers are not a new descovery. You are correct that it has been left alone for fear of disrupting such a fragile, ancient and life supporting ecosystem.

yitbos

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Yet there are strong suspicions that unpredictable, such undersea fields of methane ice can erupt.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2073686/Fountains-methane-1-000m-erupt-Arctic-ice—greenhouse-gas-30-times-potent-carbon-dioxide.html

[SunkenCiv]

For methane on the ocean floor to have a “chain reaction” (meaning combustion, apparently), would require the presence of oxygen. There is none down there. Thanks bbm.