Constraints on methane distribution from acoustic profiles of shallow sediments across the Alaska Shelf
Wood, W.T.; Hart, P. E.; Greinert, J.; De Batist, M. A. ; Rose, K.; Coffin, R. B. (2009). Constraints on methane distribution from acoustic profiles of shallow sediments across the Alaska Shelf. Eos, Trans. (Wash. D.C.) 90(52): OS23B-02 In: Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. American Geophysical Union: Washington. ISSN 0096-3941; e-ISSN 2324-9250, more |
| Authors | | Top | - Wood, W.T.
- Hart, P. E.
- Greinert, J., more
| - De Batist, M. A., more
- Rose, K.
- Coffin, R. B.
| |
| Abstract | In September of 2009 the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, U. S. Dept of Energy, and Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research conducted piston coring, acoustic profiling, and water sampling on the Alaskan Arctic shelf from the U. S. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea, as part of the MITAS (Methane In The Arctic Shelf) project. The overall project objective is to determine the role of methane in arctic shelf processes by determining the source, distribution, and concentration of shallow (0-30m methane accumulations as well as active and potential methane seeps along selected transects across and along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea shelf. The specific objective of the acoustic program is to delineate gas (methane) by mapping bubble release into the water column (flare detection), and free gas indications as acoustic blanking and gas fronts in the sediment. The data consist of 3.5 kHz, 12 kHz profiles acquired using hull-mounted transducers on the Polar Sea, in conjunction with 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler and 180 kHz multi-beam data acquired from the Polar Sea's ASB (Arctic Service Boat). Acoustic profiles and images, as well as preliminary interpretations are discussed in the presentation. |
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