§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the deep ocean temperature at which methyl hydrates on the ocean floor would evaporate. [HL791]
§ Lord WhittyThe potential release of methane from hydrates trapped under the ocean has not yet been quantified, but is the subject of research under the Defra-funded Climate Prediction Programme at the Hadley Centre. Warmer temperatures could trigger such a release, as they can destabilise the conditions under which the hydrates can exist. The Hadley Centre is investigating the conditions under which the hydrates could become unstable, and the temperatures that could initiate a release.