天然气水合物——下世纪的新能源

Natural Gas Hydrate New Energy for the Next Century

深埋于海底的天然气水合物，作为一种潜在的矿产资源，越来越受到科学家的重视，随着大洋钻探航次的增加和资料的积累，初步研究认为，天然气水合物是普遍存在于海底沉积物中的化石燃料，主要成分是甲烷，在高压低温条件下稳定。一旦逸出，作为温室气体效果比ＣＯ２要强１０倍，作为能源相当于现在已发现煤、石油等化石燃料的２倍。科学家正致力于天然气水合物的成因和开发研究，可望作为新世纪的能源而影响人类社会经济发展。

Abstract Generally in the form of a fossil energy found in sea bed deposits, natural gas hydrate mainly contains methane which is stable under high pressure and low temperature conditions. Once escaping into the atmosphere, its green house effect could be 10 times as strong as that of CO 2. As energy, it is 2 times as powerful as the total fossil energy such as coal and petroleum oil so far found. It is expected that natural gas hydrate, as a new energy for the next century, can exert a positive impact on the social and economic development of the human society.