Fire and Ice

Check out this video about methane being released as permafrost thaws.  Remember, in lab (and in our homes) scent is added to natural gas so we can detect a leak.  Methane on its own is odourless, so one way to test for it is to see if it ignites!

You'll see a demo in chemistry lab this week using methane bubbles; this video shows the same reaction on a much larger scale!

On a non-chemistry note, this also reminds me of a poem I learned in elementary school, "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.  I knew that English class would be useful!