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  • Methane in coastal sea water, sea ice, and bottom sediments, Beaufort Sea, Alaska

    Metadata Updated: November 12, 2020

    This report summarizes data acquired from 1990 to 1994 for the gas-hydrate portion of the USGS project "Permafrost and gas hydrate as possible sources of methane" of the USGS Global Change and Climate History program. The objective of this project has been to test the hypothesis that gas hydrate deposits of the Beaufort Sea continental shelf are destabilized by the ~10°C temperature increase that has resulted from the Holocene transgression of the Arctic Ocean. To test this idea we have selected an area off the north coast of Alaska centered on Harrison Bay. We have measured the concentration of methane in surficial sediments, in the water column when ice is present and absent, and in seasonal sea ice. Our results show that more methane is present in the water when ice is present than when ice is absent, and that methane is also present within the ice itself, often at higher concentrations than in the water. Thus the Beaufort Sea shelf of Alaska is a seasonal source of methane. The primary source of this methane has not yet been defined, but gas hydrate is a reasonable candidate.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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    Dates

    Metadata Date June 10, 2016
    Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date November 12, 2020
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 1995 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from DOI Open Data

    Graphic Preview

    The study area showing six north-south transects with the water and ice station locations.

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date June 10, 2016
    Metadata Created Date November 12, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date November 12, 2020
    Reference Date(s) January 1, 1995 (publication)
    Responsible Party Branch of Pacific Marine Geology (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid
    Access Constraints Use Constraints: none, Access Constraints: none
    Bbox East Long -144.99833
    Bbox North Lat 72.64800
    Bbox South Lat 70.05267
    Bbox West Long -152.20717
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded
    Graphic Preview Description The study area showing six north-south transects with the water and ice station locations.
    Graphic Preview File http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/of95-070/core/meta/figure2.gif
    Graphic Preview Type GIF
    Licence This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the North American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
    Metadata Language
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 1992-05-01
    Temporal Extent End 1994-08-26

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