A new generation of models, laboratory, and field studies is helping scientists answer important questions about this mysterious substance.
Gas and hydrate systems
Posted inNews
Deep-Seabed Mining May Come Soon, Says Head of Governing Group
New regulations could open the door for sustainable mining, says the head of the International Seabed Authority. However, he and others pointed to environmental, financial, and technical challenges.
Posted inNews
Tanzanian Volcanoes May Hoard Helium Ready for the Taking
Sweet spots of volcanic heat that are not too close to active eruptions may hold the world's richest reservoirs of the scientifically and medically important gas helium.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Fate of Hydrocarbons Seeping from the Ocean Floor
Researchers investigate the properties of bubbles at deep-ocean oil seeps to improve oil spill models.
Posted inNews
Microbes Make a Quick Meal of Methane in a Submarine Canyon
Scientists track the fate of methane released by hydrates in a major canyon off the U.S. East Coast.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Rapid Gas Hydrate Forms Pockmarks in Nigeria's Seafloor
The seafloor in deep water regions off the coast of Nigeria is speckled with pockmarks that scientists suggest were mainly made by the rapid formation of gas hydrate.