Barrow’s Arctic OceanBarrow’s Arctic Ocean

Developing a Cabled Seafloor Observatory to Complement the Barrow Global Climate

Change Facilitythe “BGCCRF”

Developing a Cabled Seafloor Observatory to Complement the Barrow Global Climate

Change Facilitythe “BGCCRF”

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BGCCRF Design ProcessBGCCRF Design ProcessDeveloped through a series of

meetings with user groupsOriginal Design included Seawater Intake

Developed through a series of meetings with user groups

Original Design included Seawater Intake

Seawater Intake MeetingSeawater Intake Meeting

Held at MBARI October 10, 2003• Approximately 30 attendees• Discussed multiple uses• Constraints on seawater intake• Use as a “cable run” for Seafloor

Observatories• How to install it?

Held at MBARI October 10, 2003• Approximately 30 attendees• Discussed multiple uses• Constraints on seawater intake• Use as a “cable run” for Seafloor

Observatories• How to install it?

Everyone was excited about the potential forSeafloor Observatories……..

Everyone was excited about the potential forSeafloor Observatories……..

Broadband Acoustic Monitoring - marine mammals, acoustic tomography, volcanic activity

Visual Monitoring - scheduled, triggered or remotely triggered

Seafloor Seismometers Oceanographic - monitor water column

Active Acoustic - observe currents and ice

Tethered -reeled in and out

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Docking Intercommunication between nodes

Broadband Acoustic Monitoring - marine mammals, acoustic tomography, volcanic activity

Visual Monitoring - scheduled, triggered or remotely triggered

Seafloor Seismometers Oceanographic - monitor water column

Active Acoustic - observe currents and ice

Tethered -reeled in and out

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Docking Intercommunication between nodes

….and nervous about the cost

….and nervous about the cost

Slant drilling for 4-5 km is near the limit for the technology

Not Cheap The Seawater intake has been

eliminated from the design.

Slant drilling for 4-5 km is near the limit for the technology

Not Cheap The Seawater intake has been

eliminated from the design.

Spin Cycle “On”Spin Cycle “On” Elimination of the Seawater Intake

is an Opportunity Permits us to select optimum Site

for Installation Where is it?

Elimination of the Seawater Intake is an Opportunity

Permits us to select optimum Site for Installation

Where is it?

Land-Based Sea Ice Radar at Barrow, AK

data courtesy of Andy Mahoney-UAF

Land-Based Sea Ice Radar at Barrow, AK

data courtesy of Andy Mahoney-UAF

10 kW X-Band marine radar

level ice, open water and radar shadows appear black

detects ice floes up to 10 km from shore

captures detailed development of landfast sea ice

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Edge of landfast ice; courtesy Andy Mahoney-UAF

2001

2002

2003

High-Resolution Bathymetry off Barrow

Data Needs to identify best Cable Location

Data Needs to identify best Cable Location• Multi-beam Bathymetric Survey

identify bottom features to avoid or exploit

• Sidescan Surveymap ice gouges

• Chirp sub-bottom profiler Surveyestimate penetration depth of ice keels

• Repeatidentify the active areas