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USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Field Activity Details for field activity 2010-054-FA

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Other ID: none

Status: Completed

Organization(s): USGS, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Funding Program(s):

Principal Investigator(s): Carolyn Ruppel

Affiliate Investigator(s):

Information Specialist(s): Carolyn Ruppel

Data Type(s): Location-Elevation: Navigation, Seismics: Sparker, Seismics: Sub Bottom Profiler, Sonar: Sidescan, Sonar: Single Beam

Scientific Purpose/Goals: 1) Image seafloor. 2) Map top of subsea permafrost in very near shore. 3) Survey for possible methane emissions at distal inferred end of permafrost offshore. 4) Collect data to help constrain whether seaward limit of permafrost is 'real' or related to a lithologic change.

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Prudhoe Bay West Dock, AK

End Port/Location: Prudhoe Bay West Dock, AK

Start Date: 2010-08-03

End Date: 2010-08-09

Equipment Used: EdgeTech 424 chirp sub-bottom profiler, Single channel hydrophone, Humminbird fishfinder, GPS (wh), Edgetech DF-1000 sidescan sonar, Sparker

Information to be Derived:

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: Transit from Prudhoe Bay West Dock to eastern Harrison Bay; collected seismic data along lines running NE-SW and long tie lines running WNW to ESE until weather turned bad.

Staff: Charles Worley

Affiliate Staff:
Patrick Hart
USGS-Menlo Park; observer from the community of Nuiqsut

Notes: Permitting:
NEPA CX USGS;
NMFS Letter of Concurrence;
FWS letter for ESA birds obtained;
FWS no ESA needed for fish;
FWS MMPA/ESA polar bear consultation underway;
Tribal council mtg interaction on 19 June 2010;
North Slope Borough permit;
discussion started with private sector operator that may be in study area during the survey on a ~70 m vessel.
Project = Methane Hydrate - Dept. of Energy, Methane Hydrate - Dept. of Energy

Location:

centered on Harrison Bay, shallow Beaufort Sea, Alaska, United States, North America, Arctic Ocean;

Boundaries
North: 70.97403 South: 70.33353 West: -153.083 East: -149.87549

Platform(s):

photo of BOEM Launch 1273
BOEM Launch 1273

Publications

Ruppel, C., Brothers, L., Hart, P., and Pohlman, J, 2012, Warming-Driven Dissociation of Gas Hydrates on the Continental Shelf and Upper Continental Slope of the US Beaufort Seas [abs.]: , Arctic Frontiers 2012. Tromso, Norway, January 20, 2012.

Ruppel, C., Brothers, L., Hart, P., Maue, C., Pohlman, J., Kessler, J., Sparrow, K.M., and Worley, C, 2012, Methane Dynamics Associated with Long-Term Climate Change on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Inner-Shelf: DOE, Fire in the Ice Newsletter, .

Portals/Viewers

Data Acquired

Survey EquipmentSurvey InfoData Type(s)Data Collected
EdgeTech 424 chirp sub-bottom profiler --- Sub Bottom Profiler
Single channel hydrophone --- Air Gun / Water Gun
Boomer
Bubble Gun
Sparker
Sub Bottom Profiler
Humminbird fishfinder --- Single Beam
GPS (wh) --- Navigation
Edgetech DF-1000 sidescan sonar --- Sidescan
Sparker --- Sparker

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