Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #75:Comprehensive survey of sea floor methane seeps and related benthic ecosystem in the Beaufort Sea  (Comprehensive survey of sea floor methane seeps and related benthic ecosystem in the Beaufort Sea)

Outline
A recent international workshop on methane and climate change sponsored by NOAA identified the quantification of methane seepage as a major knowledge gap in determining the effect of sea floor gas release on global climate change. The overall aims of this project are to quantify the flux of methane gas into the atmosphere from active sediment seeps in the Beaufort Sea and the Mackenzie Delta, and to understand the environmental factors that sustain the benthic ecosystem that is related to the methane flow. Our research plan involves a comprehensive sea floor mapping survey and multidisciplinary investigation at the sea floor seep sites. The mapping survey includes mapping of sea bed relief and subbottom structure, in order to (a) understand the relationship between geological structure, upward gas migration channels and seep sites; (b) understand the relationship between seabed backscatter intensity and seep locations for development of remote detection techniques for hydrocarbon seeps; (c) map ice scour development using multiyear mapping surveys. We propose a novel method based on acoustic backscatter from bubble seeps to quantify directly the flux of gas from the sediment into the water. The method involves the use of conventional multiple frequency sonars, and is suited to rapid survey over large areas. The geophysical surveys are complemented by analysis of geochemical data from samples of sea floor sediments and water samples. These studies provide the means to quantify the composition and origin of the seep gases. Gas vents and submarine pingos provide unique habitats. Due to pressures on the marine environment in the Beaufort Sea from oil and gas development, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is required to develop a habitat map for the region, with a focus on mapping unique habitats such as those at seep sites. The mapping survey data will be processed using specialized acoustic classification algorithms to generate habitat maps from the remote surveys. Sediment samples will also be analyzed to develop genetic catalogues of the microbes in the sea bed seep ecosystem. These results are important for comparison with microbial systems at seep sites at other regions world wide.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The main focus of this project is to collect acoustic, geophysical, and geochemical data to (a) quantify methane flux into the atmosphere from natural seabed sources using acoustical and geoechemical analysis (b) map seabed and subsurface structure to understand the geological processes at seep sites and (c) analyze microbes from seep-related ecosystems. This will certainly advance our knowledge of the present environmental status of polar regions (theme 1). By revisiting the site to map the seabed, we will gain knowledge on the effects of ice scouring on seafloor morphology and associated ecology (theme 2). Global linkages will be obtained from comparison of arctic methane flux estimates with other seeps sites worldwide (theme 3). The mapping of seep sites and the nearby seabed will contribute to the detailed mapping of polar ecosystems (theme 4).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Dr. Peter Linke – IFM, GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany Dr. Laurenz Thomsen – International University Bremen – Bremen, Germany Dr. Rick Coffin - Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
In the Beaufort Sea, both mud volcanoes and pockmarks are known to exist. The primary field work will take place in the vicinity of a pockmark field north of Kugmallit Bay near the McKenzie delta. Secondary field work will take place at Kopanoar mud volcano, one of up to 400 mud-volcanoes in the Beaufort formed from thermogenic gas escaping from the seabed.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/06 – 08/06      07/07 – 08/07       07/08 – 08/08
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The project requires the use of a ship to collect data, and small remotely operated survey systems. An arrangement to share ship time with Fisheries and Oceans Canada during their offshore research is in place. Ship time and ROV support are required, and this can be achieved through NSERC.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will generate a series of seabed maps (multibeam backscatter and bathymetry) from the areas near the seep sites studied. This information will provide the means to understand ice scour dynamics and seabed remediation and its effect on benthic ecology by mapping the same site over a number of field se

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Further details – Funding for ship time and ROV are through NSERC, in partnership with research by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: THEME: Education, Outreach & Communication SUB-THEME: Arctic Ocean Fluxes & Flows

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
yes

The project described here is connected with a pending proposal to Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) to estimate methane flux to the atmosphere from seep sites in the Beaufort Sea.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The research will be coordinated by the Canadian Marine Acoustic Remote Sensing (C-MARS) facility at UVic. C-MARS is in turn associated with the Centre for Earth and Ocean Research (CEOR) at UVic, which will provide administrative support. CEOR is currently administering the Coast Under Stress program and therefore has experience in managing interdisciplinary research on a national scale.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
There are no plans for addressing EOC issues at this the pre-submission stage.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
This project involves a series of short cruises of 7-10 days to collect data, and it is not creating permanent infrastructure for continuous data collection. Data storage and dissemination will be provided by C-MARS, which has experience with managing and processing large quantities of multibeam sonar data.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Potential funds for this project include the aforementioned CFCAS project (results to be announced Dec. 2004) and NSERC for ship time. Expected costs are approximately $300K over 3 years which includes the salary of one student and one post-doc, costs of field work and analysis on samples, and cost of using the DFO vessel CCGS Nahidik for field work.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
We recognize the benefits of integrating our research plan with the proposal developed by Scott Dallimore of the Geological Survey of Canada. The overall objectives are similar, but the approaches we propose for measuring methane fluxes are based on our own developments. Also, the international connections that we have listed, and can develop through collaborations with researchers studying similar systems in the Gulf of Mexico, complement those of Dallimore. Our intent is to develop a more integrated proposal in the next stage.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  N. Ross Chapman
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 3055
STN CSC, Victoria, BC
V8W 3P6
Canada

Tel: 250-472-4349
Mobile: no
Fax: 250-472-4620
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation