S2E1048 - The Ice That Burns Beneath the Ocean

It looks like ice.

But there's a problem.

It contains methane.

And under the right conditions, you can actually light it on fire.

Deep beneath the ocean floor, pressure and temperature can force water molecules to form cage-like crystals around methane gas.

The result is methane hydrate—an extraordinary ice-like material that can hold a huge amount of gas inside a solid structure.

INTRO

Imagine sending a drilling operation hundreds of meters beneath the ocean.

The water above is cold.

The pr...