E-Mail IMAGE: Using Sandia National Laboratories' longstanding expertise in probabilistic modeling and machine learning algorithms from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the researchers determined the probability of finding methane hydrate off the... view more Credit: Image courtesy of William Eymold/Sandia National Laboratories RALEIGH, N.C. -- Methane hydrate, an ice-like material made of compressed natural gas, burns when lit and can be found in some regions of the seafloor and in Arctic permafrost. Thought to be the world's largest source of natural gas, methane hydrate is a potential fuel source, and if it "melts" and methane gas is released into the atmosphere, it is a potent greenhouse gas. For these reasons, knowing where methane hydrate might be located, and how much is likely there, is important.