2020 Natural Gas Hydrate Systems GRC/GRS: Galveston, Texas - February 2020

天然气水合物是由水和甲烷气体形成的固体。每个大陆都有天然气水合物，在海洋沉积物中发现了大量的天然气水合物。更深入地了解控制天然气水合物的形成、赋存、稳定性和破坏的基本因素是很重要的，原因如下。天然气水合物可能是一种宝贵的能源。此外，如果天然气水合物分解，它们会释放出大量的甲烷，而甲烷的突然释放可能会引发海底滑坡。为了增加对天然气水合物的了解，将举行天然气水合物系统戈登研究会议，汇集顶级研究人员，促进学术界，政府和私营部门的顶级研究人员之间的互动和讨论。该奖项将帮助支付大约10名早期职业科学家参加戈登研究会议和戈登天然气水合物系统研究研讨会的费用。会议和研讨会为早期职业科学家提供了与同行会面和分享信息的机会，并与更资深的研究人员进行互动。戈登研究会议和戈登天然气水合物系统研究研讨会将有助于将天然气水合物研究从传统主题转向更现代、更前沿的天然气水合物系统非平衡动力学研究，从而在一系列地质灾害、气候、能源和碳循环问题上取得进展。多相流（自由气和液态水）耦合、多组分反应输运与地质历史的重要性等主题将在多场会议上强调，以描述地质系统中天然气水合物形成和演化的动力学过程。该奖项将帮助支持一部分早期职业科学家的旅行和注册。该会议旨在为资深研究人员提供充足的时间与早期职业科学家互动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Gas hydrates are a solid formed from water and methane gas. Gas hydrates occur on every continent and large amounts of gas hydrates are found in marine sediments. Obtaining a deeper understanding of the basic factors that control the formation, occurrence, stability, and destruction of gas hydrates is important for several reasons. Gas hydrates could be a valuable energy source. Additionally, if gas hydrates decompose they could release large amounts of methane, and the sudden release of methane could initiate submarine landslides. To increase understanding of gas hydrates a Natural Gas Hydrate Systems Gordon Research Conference will be held to bring together top researchers to facilitate interaction and discussion between top researchers from academe, government, and the private sector. This award will help cover the costs for about 10 early-career scientists to attend the Gordon Research Conference and the Gordon Research Seminar on Natural Gas Hydrate Systems scheduled before it. The conference and seminar provide the opportunity for early-career scientists to meet and share information with their peers and to interact with the more senior researchers.The Gordon Research Conference and the Gordon Research Seminar on Natural Gas Hydrate Systems will aid in moving gas hydrates studies away from traditional topics and towards a more modern, cutting-edge consideration of the nonequilibrium dynamics of natural gas hydrate systems to make progress on a suite of geohazard, climate, energy and carbon cycling issues. Multiple sessions will emphasize such topics as the importance of coupled multi-phase flow (free gas and liquid water) and multicomponent reactive transport with geological history to describe the dynamical processes of gas hydrate formation and evolution in geological systems. This award will help support the travel and registration of a subset of early-career scientists. The conference is designed for senior researchers to have ample time to interact with the early-career scientists.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.