Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data: SUBSEA PERMAFROST ON THE U.S. BEAUFORT I
Abstract
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost (IBPF) and associated gas hydrate in the Arctic have been subject to a warming climate and saline intrusion since the last transgression at the end of the Pleistocene. The consequent degradation of IBPF is potentially associated with significant degassing of dissociating gas hydrate deposits. Previous studies interpreted the distribution of subsea permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort continental shelf based on geographically sparse data sets and modeling of expected thermal history. The most cited work projects subsea permafrost to the shelf edge (~100 m isobath). This study uses a compilation of stacking velocity analyses from ~100,000 line-km of industry-collected multichannel seismic reflection data acquired over 57,000 km2 of the U.S. Beaufort shelf to delineate continuous subsea IBPF. Gridded average velocities of the uppermost 750 ms two-way travel time range from 1475 to 3110 m s-1. The monotonic, cross-shore pattern in velocity distribution suggests that the seaward extent of continuous IBPF is within 37 km of the modern shoreline at water depths < 25 m. These interpretations corroborate recent Beaufort seismic refraction studies and provide the best, margin-scale evidence that continuous subsea IBPF does not currently extend to the northern limits of the continental shelf.
- Authors:
-
- U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA (USA)
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Anchorage AK (United States)
- U.S. Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA (USA)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States); US Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1532977
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FC26-05NT42248; FE0002911
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 17; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1525-2027
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; Geochemistry & Geophysics
Citation Formats
Brothers, Laura L., Herman, Bruce M., Hart, Patrick E., and Ruppel, Carolyn D. Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data: SUBSEA PERMAFROST ON THE U.S. BEAUFORT I. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1002/2016gc006584.
Brothers, Laura L., Herman, Bruce M., Hart, Patrick E., & Ruppel, Carolyn D. Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data: SUBSEA PERMAFROST ON THE U.S. BEAUFORT I. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006584
Brothers, Laura L., Herman, Bruce M., Hart, Patrick E., and Ruppel, Carolyn D. Fri .
"Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data: SUBSEA PERMAFROST ON THE U.S. BEAUFORT I". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006584. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1532977.
@article{osti_1532977,
title = {Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data: SUBSEA PERMAFROST ON THE U.S. BEAUFORT I},
author = {Brothers, Laura L. and Herman, Bruce M. and Hart, Patrick E. and Ruppel, Carolyn D.},
abstractNote = {Subsea ice-bearing permafrost (IBPF) and associated gas hydrate in the Arctic have been subject to a warming climate and saline intrusion since the last transgression at the end of the Pleistocene. The consequent degradation of IBPF is potentially associated with significant degassing of dissociating gas hydrate deposits. Previous studies interpreted the distribution of subsea permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort continental shelf based on geographically sparse data sets and modeling of expected thermal history. The most cited work projects subsea permafrost to the shelf edge (~100 m isobath). This study uses a compilation of stacking velocity analyses from ~100,000 line-km of industry-collected multichannel seismic reflection data acquired over 57,000 km2 of the U.S. Beaufort shelf to delineate continuous subsea IBPF. Gridded average velocities of the uppermost 750 ms two-way travel time range from 1475 to 3110 m s-1. The monotonic, cross-shore pattern in velocity distribution suggests that the seaward extent of continuous IBPF is within 37 km of the modern shoreline at water depths < 25 m. These interpretations corroborate recent Beaufort seismic refraction studies and provide the best, margin-scale evidence that continuous subsea IBPF does not currently extend to the northern limits of the continental shelf.},
doi = {10.1002/2016gc006584},
journal = {Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems},
number = 11,
volume = 17,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Permafrost Extent on the Alaskan Beaufort Shelf From Surface-Towed Controlled-Source Electromagnetic Surveys
journal, September 2018
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