Photo by V. Miller
July 13, 2005
Methane Hydrate Explosions
Could Methane Hydrate Threaten Homeland Security? You Do the Math!
Kasey Lynn Borchardt, 14, Vernon, Texas
Finalist, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2004
Project background: Kasey's teacher told her about a Department of Energy plan to harvest methane hydrate—natural gas—from the ocean floor. She wondered what would happen if a pocket of gas exploded. Preliminary research uncovered stories of tsunamis generated from underwater gas explosions, including a large wave in Papua, New Guinea.
Tactics and results: To show that an underwater gas explosion could create a wave, Kasey taped a balloon to the hose of an air compressor, sank the balloon and hose with a rock, and then overinflated and burst the balloon. After 10 trials in two swimming pools, she concluded that underwater explosions do create waves. She then found an equation to calculate the speed of tsunamis. After locating methane hydrate deposits near the U.S. coast, she calculated how long it would take tsunamis to reach major cities.
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| Photo by V. Miller |
Kasey concluded that an explosion at a large deposit called Blake Ridge would wash over Washington, D.C., in less than an hour. She wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security warning of this possible danger.
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