Stephen H. Kirby William B. Durham Laura A. Stern 1996 <p><span>Slow, constant-volume heating of water ice plus methane gas mixtures forms methane clathrate hydrate by a progressive reaction that occurs at the nascent ice/liquid water interface. As this reaction proceeds, the rate of melting of metastable water ice may be suppressed to allow short-lived superheating of ice to at least 276 kelvin. Plastic flow properties measured on clathrate test specimens are significantly different from those of water ice; under nonhydrostatic stress, methane clathrate undergoes extensive strain hardening and a process of solid-state disproportionation or exsolution at conditions well within its conventional hydrostatic stability field.</span></p> application/pdf 10.1126/science.273.5283.1843 en American Association for the Advancement of Science Peculiarities of methane clathrate hydrate formation and solid-state deformation, including possible superheating of water ice article