Nome, ALASKA — Scientists aboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker have discovered something unusual in the Arctic Ocean: a volcano-like structure off the coast of Alaska. They say it’s rising more than 500 meters from the seafloor, and it might be emitting gas.
The group was on the Cutter Healy, which is homeported in Seattle and is the Coast Guard’s only icebreaker specifically designed to support research. The scientists were on a mission to better understand uncharged waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas at the time.
The trip was part of a bigger study called the Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study. The project’s goal is to chart a Coast Guard-proposed preferred vessel route from Utqiaġvik, Alaska, to the demarcation point of the border between the U.S. and Canada. The discovery came during the mission’s first phase. The Coast Guard says the structure is approximately 1,600 meters below the surface at its shallowest depth and poses no risk to navigation.
A NOAA team from the Fairweather, an Alaska-based hydrographic survey vessel, joined the science party aboard Healy to support mapping the coastal waters. They used multibeam echo sounders to provide highly accurate depths and detailed images of the sea floor and objects along the corridor.
“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,” said Captain Meghan McGovern, Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Fairweather. “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.”
Apart from the discovery, the mission also involved training young scientists.
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