High-Pressure Behavior of Methane Hydrate under the Internal Conditions of Icy Bodies

Abstract

Methane hydrate, a representative gas hydrate, is considered one of the major constituent materials of icy bodies such as Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn’s moon Titan. However, its physicochemical properties under a wide range of temperature and pressure conditions that correspond to those inside icy bodies have not been fully elucidated. In this article, we focus on the latest findings from our research and introduce the phase transition mechanism, structural evolution, and stability of methane hydrate observed under various temperature and pressure conditions.