Scientists discover volcano-like structure in Arctic Ocean off Alaska

By Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon November 8, 2024
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New data is used to map a volcano-like feature discovered this fall by science teams aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, a polar-class icebreaker used for Arctic research. The scientists found the structure on the continental slope off northern Alaska. It rises from the seabed about 585 meters, but it is at least 1,600 meters below the sea surface, according to the scientists. The discovery was made during the first phase of a project to better map the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas north of Alaska along a corridor that the Coast Guard is proposing as a preferred shipping route between Utqiaġvik and the U.S.-Canada maritime border in the Beaufort Sea. (Image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Scientists aboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker have discovered something unusual in the Arctic Ocean off northern Alaska: a volcano-like structure rising more than 500 meters from the seafloor and possibly emitting gas.

The discovery came as scientists from different organizations were aboard the Healy, one of two polar-class Coast Guard icebreaking cutters, were working on a mission to better understand uncharted waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska.

Although the structure rises well above the seabed, it tops out at about 1,600 meters below the water’s surface, so it is too deep to pose any risks to navigation, the Coast Guard said in a statement. However, there appears to be a plume of gas rising from the structure that nearly reaches the water’s surface, the Coast Guard said.

The discovery is part of a project called the Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study. The project is surveying what have been uncharted waters and collecting depth data along a corridor that the Coast Guard has proposed to be a preferred vessel route between Utqiagvik, the nation’s northernmost community, and the U.S.-Canada border. The project is making use of equipment aboard the Healy to gather data and create detailed images of the seafloor and objects along the proposed Utqiagvik-to-Canada corridor.

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ship Fairweather and the University of New Hampshire analyze mapping data in the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy’s computer lab while the cutter transits the Beaufort Sea on Oct. 16. The Healy hosted a science team this fall that conducted the first phase of a study mapping a Coast Guard-recommended Arctic shipping route between Utqiagvik and the U.S.-Canada maritime border. (Photo by Lt. j.g. Haley Howard/U.S. Coast Guard)

Multiple organizations are collaborating on the project, which is in its first phase: the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of New Hampshire, along with the Coast Guard.

Capt. Meghan McGovern, the commanding officer of the NOAA Ship Fairweather, is part of the Healy mapping team and commented on the discovery.

“Although data analysis is ongoing, these findings are exciting and offer insight into what may exist beneath the ocean’s surface, much of which is unknown in this region,” McGovern said in a Coast Guard statement. “The coordination and partnerships during this mission fill critical gaps in the region for all waterway users and provide a foundation for safe navigation in the Arctic.”

The port access route study accomplishments came despite some difficulties endured earlier in the year by the Healy, its crew and its visiting scientists.

The Healy had to cut short one of its Arctic research cruises after a fire broke out in its electrical system in July, when the ship was sailing off the coast of Canada’s Banks Island. The Healy returned to its home port of Seattle for repairs, then sailed back north on Oct. 1 to resume this year’s Arctic mission.

The Healy is the only Coast Guard icebreaker designed to support scientific research. This year, it hosted 20 early career scientists, along with their mentors, to help them gain Arctic research experience and skills.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy maneuvers off the coast of Nome on Oct. 24. The Healy hosted a science team conducting the first phase of the Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study. The study is gathering seafloor data to better map the Chukchi and Beaufort seas along a corridor that the Coast Guard has selected as its preferred shipping route between Utqiagvik and the Canadian border. (Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Matt Masaschi/U.S. Coast Guard)

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