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A clathrate is a chemical structure that can trap molecules by surrounding them, typically a crystal with "internal gaps", or voids where a separate molecule might sit, surrounded by the crystal structure. They can occur in nature (e.g., formed at extreme pressures and/or temperatures) and may be created artificially. Clathrate hydrates are water crystals in a pattern that are clathrates, and a methane clathrate (or filled ice) is a clathrate hydrate that is trapping methane.