Ductile flow of methane hydrate
Canadian Journal of Physics
By: W.B. Durham, L.A. Stern, and S. H. Kirby
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Abstract
Compressional creep tests (i.e., constant applied stress) conducted on pure, polycrystalline methane hydrate over the temperature range 260-287 K and confining pressures of 50-100 MPa show this material to be extraordinarily strong compared to other icy compounds. The contrast with hexagonal water ice, sometimes used as a proxy for gas hydrate properties, is impressive: over the thermal range where both are solid, methane hydrate is as much as 40 times stronger than ice at a given strain rate. The specific mechanical response of naturally occurring methane hydrate in sediments to environmental changes is expected to be dependent on the distribution of the hydrate phase within the formation - whether arranged structurally between and (or) cementing sediments grains versus passively in pore space within a sediment framework. If hydrate is in the former mode, the very high strength of methane hydrate implies a significantly greater strain-energy release upon decomposition and subsequent failure of hydrate-cemented formations than previously expected.
Suggested Citation
Durham, W., Stern, L., Kirby, S.H., 2003, Ductile flow of methane hydrate: Canadian Journal of Physics, v. 81, no. 1-2, p. 373-380, https://doi.org/10.1139/p03-042.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Ductile flow of methane hydrate |
| Series title | Canadian Journal of Physics |
| DOI | 10.1139/p03-042 |
| Volume | 81 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Year Published | 2003 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Canadian Journal of Physics |
| First page | 373 |
| Last page | 380 |