clathrate

A clathrate is a chemical compound formed when molecules of one substance are trapped within the crystal lattice of another. These are a type of hydrate, which are compounds containing water molecules within their structure.12

Clathrate compounds specifically involve gases, such as noble gases or hydrocarbons like methane, forming crystalline structures with water molecules. The water forms a framework that encloses the gas molecules. Methane hydrates, for example, are found in large quantities beneath the ocean floor and in permafrost, potentially holding more fuel than all the world's coal, natural gas, and oil reserves combined. There are concerns that climate change could destabilize these hydrates, releasing methane and exacerbating global warming.2