Gas hydrates: entrance to a methane age or climate threat?
Gas hydrates: entrance to a methane age or climate threat?
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DOI：
10.1088/1748-9326/4/3/034007
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发表时间：
2009-07-01
影响因子：
6.7
通讯作者：
Yakushev, Vladimir
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Krey, Volker;Canadell, Josep G.;Yakushev, Vladimir
甲烷水合物是一种冰状化合物，其中甲烷被保存在由水分子形成的结晶笼中，广泛存在于北极等永久冻土区和大陆边缘的沉积物中。它们是一种潜在的巨大化石燃料能源，但与此同时，由于气候变化而改变的压力-温度条件可能会使其不稳定，从而可能导致强烈的正碳-气候反馈。为了提高我们对甲烷水合物的脆弱性和所提供的机会的理解，有必要（i）进行基础研究，以改善对水合物出现及其对不断变化的环境条件的反应的高度不确定性的估计，以及（ii）整合能源安全和气候变化议程，这可以为甲烷水合物提供机会-特别是如果与碳捕获和储存相结合，将被用作碳密集型化石能源和零排放能源之间的“桥梁燃料”。更进一步，开采游离的甲烷水合物甚至可以减轻甲烷向大气中的逃逸。尽管有这些机会，但迄今为止，在能源和气候讨论中，包括全球碳氢化合物评估和政府间气候变化专门委员会第四次评估报告中，甲烷水合物基本上没有涉及。
Methane hydrates, ice-like compounds in which methane is held in crystalline cages formed by water molecules, are widespread in areas of permafrost such as the Arctic and in sediments on the continental margins. They are a potentially vast fossil fuel energy source but, at the same time, could be destabilized by changing pressure-temperature conditions due to climate change, potentially leading to strong positive carbon-climate feedbacks. To enhance our understanding of both the vulnerability of and the opportunity provided by methane hydrates, it is necessary (i) to conduct basic research that improves the highly uncertain estimates of hydrate occurrences and their response to changing environmental conditions, and (ii) to integrate the agendas of energy security and climate change which can provide an opportunity for methane hydrates-in particular if combined with carbon capture and storage-to be used as a 'bridge fuel' between carbon-intensive fossil energies and zero-emission energies. Taken one step further, exploitation of dissociating methane hydrates could even mitigate against escape of methane to the atmosphere. Despite these opportunities, so far, methane hydrates have been largely absent from energy and climate discussions, including global hydrocarbon assessments and the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.