The National Science Museum, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tohoku University, Chiba Prefectural Central Museum, and National Institute for Materials Science, in collaboration with amateur researchers Katsumi Nishikubo, Chifune Homma, and crystal morphology researcher Masasuke Takada, Chiba We found out that the mineral collected in Minami Boso City, Prefecture is a new species, and named it "Boso Stone".
According to Tohoku University, Boso stone was found in the process of investigating the "Chibaite" found in Chiba prefecture in 2011.Both Boso stone and Chibaite are mainly composed of silicon dioxide, but they have a cage-like crystal structure composed of silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and natural gas molecules such as methane are trapped inside.
This structure is very similar to natural gas hydrate in which gas molecules are trapped in water molecules.In addition to the largest amount of methane hydrate, a total of three types of natural gas hydrate, type II and type H, have been confirmed.When applied to this classification, Chibaite is type II and Boso stone is type H.
Boso stone can be regarded as a time capsule in which natural gas is trapped in crystals, and it is expected to be a new clue to investigate the origin of natural gas by investigating the decomposition and degassing reaction of organic matter in the stratum.
Paper information:[Minera logical Magazine] Bosoite, a new silica clathrate mineral from Chiba Prefecture, Japan
