NOAA Heads to Arctic in Effort to Update Navigation Maps
22.07.2010 - Logistics, Water & Oceans, Ice & Snow, Arctic
As the receding sea ice over the Arctic Ocean opens the way for new sea routes, the need to update existing maps of the Arctic is becoming more pronounced. Following requests by institutions such as the US Coast Guard or the commercial shipping industry, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has sent the Fairweather on a mission to detect navigational dangers in specific areas of the Arctic Ocean and update 50-year old maps of the area.
The ship is equipped with multi-beam survey systems, high-speed, high-resolution side-scan sonar; position and orientation systems, hydrographic survey launches, and an on-board data-processing server. This will allow it to examine seafloor features, measure ocean depths and supply other data to update charts. The data, spanning 350 square nautical miles in the Bering Strait in the vicinity of Cape Prince of Wales, will also support scientific research on important fish habitats.
As the sea ice in the Arctic recedes, economic activity will likely increase. Updating the charts is important to make sure oil and natural gas development and marine transportation are done responsibly. NOAA believes mapping the prioritized areas of the Arctic seabed, which span over 38,000 square nautical miles, could take over 25 years to complete.
US Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has introduced legislation to the US Senate asking for a significant increase in funding for the mapping project.
