Learning Center What is a mineral?The most common minerals on earth Information for Educators Mindat Articles The Elements The Rock H. Currier Digital Library Geologic Time

Minerals by Properties Minerals by Chemistry Advanced Locality Search Random Mineral Random Locality Search by minID Localities Near Me Search Articles Search Glossary More Search Options

The Mindat Manual Add a New Photo Rate Photos Locality Edit Report Coordinate Completion Report Add Glossary Item

Mining Companies Statistics Users Mineral Museums Clubs & Organizations Mineral Shows & Events The Mindat Directory Device Settings The Mineral Quiz

Photo Search Photo Galleries Search by Color New Photos Today New Photos Yesterday Members' Photo Galleries Past Photo of the Day Gallery Photography

Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

╳Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

Groups

Recent Images in Discussions

GeneralMethane clathrate eruptions?

29th Jul 2014 21:01 UTCRoger Curry

Hi all,

I find these Siberian Times articles interesting, any thoughts? -

First pictures from inside the 'crater at the end of the world'

Now two NEW large holes appear in Siberia

Regards,

Rog

29th Jul 2014 21:32 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Methane clathrate explosions may well get a lot more common in future. I wonder whether offshore ones would create big waves?

29th Jul 2014 22:37 UTCRob Woodside 🌟 Manager

A new source of fossil fuel?

29th Jul 2014 22:45 UTCColin Robinson

The moronic comments following the articles tell us far more than the news itself.

30th Jul 2014 10:12 UTCRoger Curry

I notice that Mindat doesn't have this extremely common mineral in its database. Because of the difficulties in preserving methane clathrate specimens, I suspect it is ignored by collectors......

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Gashydrat_im_Sediment.JPG/800px-Gashydrat_im_Sediment.JPG

photo uploaded to Wikimedia by Wusel007

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Gashydrat_mit_Struktur.jpg

photo uploaded to Wikimedia by Wusel007

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Methane_clathrate.jpg/800px-Methane_clathrate.jpg

photo uploaded to Wikimedia by G43

30th Jul 2014 14:20 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

Actually it is in Mindat but it is called Ice although methane clathrate would be a variety of ice.

30th Jul 2014 14:52 UTCFrank Keutsch Expert

not sure. Clathrates often have a different structure (cage like units) than ice, so probably they would not be a variety.

Frank

30th Jul 2014 15:10 UTCKelly Nash 🌟 Expert

This topic has come up here before (more than once) - see:
Methane Hydrate Minerals ?

and
Crystals you don't have in your collection

30th Jul 2014 15:19 UTCKelly Nash 🌟 Expert

I don't think clathrates were necessarily involved in the Siberian craters. I understand the prevailing theory now is that there was a permafrost confining unit for upwelling gas, and with warming in the region that "cap" melted and the gas rushed to the surface and somehow ignited.

I am thinking that a similar crater was found in SIberia many years ago, but I can't find the reference right now.

Also, FYI, I believe that melanophlogite has been called a clathrate mineral, although the gas is combined with quartz rather than ice.

30th Jul 2014 16:07 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder

http://www.mindat.org/min-46016.html

30th Jul 2014 17:00 UTCJohn Oostenryk

I have a fondness for these evolving landforms- interesting stuff!

Thought I would point out that initially there was speculation of 'ignition', that was FALSE, once the scene was visited. Clearly no burnt or even singed vegetation at rim.

If you take a look at the region via aerial view from ol google, you can see this is emplaced in a meltwater, braided channel zone close to the mouth. That indicated silt/layered sediments, and those are clearly visible in the site pictures. Just commenting as to what the visible layering is, not origin of sediments or their role.

The bigger picture(regional) shows that there are considerable circular "features" comprising the landscape. While some are cutoff oxbows of said meandering (braided) channels, clearly this is not an uncommon event geologically speaking.

Would be really cool if they could do some successful subsurface imaging of the surrounding region and see what the cross section of the other "ponds and lakes" are. I suspect they would find slumped in forms like this current one will become. That slumping leaves a much bigger hole at surface than the initial gas escape 'tube/shaft'.

Would love to see a video of one of these in action. Probably not very dramatic being on land but still would be intriguing:)

There is a very short video showing a gas eruption(mud volcano) in water-- off a beach on the Sea of Azov in Ukraine. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/mud-volcano-erupts-in-sea/1jr7knx0q

PS: I want a piece of clathrate- but I guess keeping it would be like 'exotic car insurance'. If you have to ask what it would cost to preserve it, you can't afford it ~;)-

30th Jul 2014 17:21 UTCRoger Curry

Cheers for the thread refs Kelly, very informative! Thanks for the page Jolyon. And John, I'd be designing the low temp, high pressure display case for the stuff as soon as I win the lottery, but after insuring the Lambo....

Rog

30th Jul 2014 18:46 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Methane clathrate might be the most abundant mineral that has not yet been submitted to the IMA for approval as a species.

30th Jul 2014 22:29 UTCDoug Daniels

But if the methane was organically generated, would its clathrate be a valid species?

30th Jul 2014 23:38 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Of course. Many minerals were originally organic matter, reworked by geological processes - even diamond. In every malachite crystal there are some carbon atoms that were once inside a living creature. The oxygen in every vanadinite was once produced by a green plant. Life and minerals are inextricably intertwined.

The downside of this for astronaut mineral collectors is that there won't be so many minerals on "dead" planets. Earth has at least 5,000 mineral species, indirectly thanks to its living organisms; you'd be lucky to find a tenth of that number on the moon.

Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: May 9, 2024 15:25:17

Go to top of page