Alaska North Slope regional gas hydrate production modeling forecasts
S.J. Wilson, R.B. Hunter, Timothy S. Collett, S. Hancock, R. Boswell, B.J. Anderson
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 460-477
A series of gas hydrate development scenarios were created to assess the range of outcomes predicted for the possible development of the “Eileen” gas hydrate accumulation, North Slope, Alaska. Production forecasts for the “reference case” were built using the 2002 Mallik production tests, mechanistic simulation, and geologic studies conducted...
Gas emissions from failed and actual eruptions from Cook Inlet Volcanoes, Alaska, 1989-2006
C.A. Werner, M.P. Doukas, P.J. Kelly
2011, Bulletin of Volcanology (73) 155-173
Cook Inlet volcanoes that experienced an eruption between 1989 and 2006 had mean gas emission rates that were roughly an order of magnitude higher than at volcanoes where unrest stalled. For the six events studied, mean emission rates for eruptions were ~13,000 t/d CO2 and 5200 t/d SO2, but only...
Mechanism of the 1996-97 non-eruptive volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska
Diana Roman, John A. Power
2011, Bulletin of Volcanology (73) 143-153
A significant number of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquake swarms, some of which are accompanied by ground deformation and/or volcanic gas emissions, do not culminate in an eruption. These swarms are often thought to represent stalled intrusions of magma into the mid- or shallow-level crust. Real-time assessment of the likelihood that a...
U.S. Geological Survey circum-arctic resource appraisal
D. L. Gautier
2011, Conference Paper, Society of Petroleum Engineers - Arctic Technology Conference 2011
Among the greatest uncertainties in future energy supply is the amount of oil and gas yet to be found in the Arctic. Using a probabilistic geology-based methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey has assessed the area north of the Arctic Circle. The Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) consists of three parts: (1)...
GAGES-II: Geospatial Attributes of Gages for Evaluating Streamflow
James A. Falcone
2011, Report
This dataset, termed "GAGES II", an acronym for Geospatial Attributes of Gages for Evaluating Streamflow, version II, provides geospatial data and classifications for 9,322 stream gages maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is an update to the original GAGES, which was published as a Data Paper on the...
Pre- and post-drill comparison of the Mount Elbert gas hydrate prospect, Alaska North Slope
Myung W. Lee, Warren F. Agena, Timothy S. Collett, T.L. Inks
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 578-588
In 2006, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) completed a detailed analysis and interpretation of available 2-D and 3-D seismic data, along with seismic modeling and correlation with specially processed downhole well log data for identifying potential gas hydrate accumulations on the North Slope of Alaska. A methodology was...
Glacial influence on the geochemistry of riverine iron fluxes to the Gulf of Alaska and effects of deglaciation
A.W. Schroth, John Crusius, F. Chever, B.C. Bostick, O.J. Rouxel
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Riverine iron (Fe) derived from glacial weathering is a critical micronutrient source to ecosystems of the Gulf of Alaska (GoA). Here we demonstrate that the source and chemical nature of riverine Fe input to the GoA could change dramatically due to the widespread watershed deglaciation that is underway. We examine...
Consequences of long-distance swimming and travel over deep-water pack ice for a female polar bear during a year of extreme sea ice retreat
George M. Durner, J.P. Whiteman, H.J. Harlow, Steven C. Amstrup, E.V. Regehr, M. Ben-David
2011, Polar Biology (34) 975-984
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) prefer to live on Arctic sea ice but may swim between ice floes or between sea ice and land. Although anecdotal observations suggest that polar bears are capable of swimming long distances, no data have been available to describe in detail long distance swimming...
Geology and petroleum potential of the rifted margins of the Canada Basin
D.W. Houseknecht, Kenneth J. Bird
2011, Geological Society Memoir 509-526
Three sides of the Canada Basin are bordered by high-standing, conjugate rift shoulders of the Chukchi Borderland, Alaska and Canada. The Alaska and Canada margins are mantled with thick, growth-faulted sediment prisms, and the Chukchi Borderland contains only a thin veneer of sediment. The rift-margin strata of Alaska and Canada...
Distribution, population status and trends of Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Kathy J. Kuletz, Suzann G. Speckman, John F. Piatt, E.A. Labunski
2011, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (39) 85-95
Lower Cook Inlet (LCI) in south-central Alaska is unusual among the breeding areas of Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris because of human impacts on the marine and terrestrial environments and because of the lack of tidewater glaciers. In LCI the Kittlitz's Murrelet co-exists with the more abundant Marbled Murrelet, which complicates...
Genetic differentiation of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska
T.P. Birt, D. Mackinnon, John F. Piatt, Vicki L. Friesen
2011, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (39) 45-51
Information about the distribution of genetic variation within and among local populations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is needed for effective conservation of this rare and declining species. We compared variation in a 429 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region and 11 microsatellite loci among 53 Kittlitz's...
The Augustine magmatic system as revealed by seismic tomography and relocated earthquake hypocenters from 1994 through 2009
E.M. Syracuse, C.H. Thurber, John A. Power
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth (116)
We incorporate 14 years of earthquake data from the Alaska Volcano Observatory with data from a 1975 controlled‐source seismic experiment to obtain the three‐dimensional P and S wave velocity structure and the first high‐precision earthquake locations at Augustine Volcano to be calculated in a fully three‐dimensional velocity model. Velocity tomography...
Status and trend of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Glacier Bay, Alaska
John F. Piatt, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Gary S. Drew, Erica N. Madison, James L. Bodkin, Marc D. Romano
2011, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (39) 65-75
We conducted standardized surveys for marine birds in Glacier Bay in seven years between 1991 and 2008. From our most recent survey, a combination of line- and strip-transect methods completed in 2008, we estimated that 4981 (95% CI 1293–8670) Kittlitz’s Murrelets Brachyramphus brevirostris resided in Glacier Bay during the month...
Hydrogeomorphic processes of thermokarst lakes with grounded-ice and floating-ice regimes on the Arctic coastal plain, Alaska
C.D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, F.E. Urban, G. Grosse
2011, Hydrological Processes (25) 2422-2438
Thermokarst lakes cover > 20% of the landscape throughout much of the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) with shallow lakes freezing solid (grounded ice) and deeper lakes maintaining perennial liquid water (floating ice). Thus, lake depth relative to maximum ice thickness (1·5–2·0 m) represents an important threshold that impacts permafrost,...
Regional shoreline change and coastal erosion hazards in Arctic Alaska
Ann E. Gibbs, E. Lynne Harden, Bruce M. Richmond, Li H. Erikson
2011, Conference Paper, Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2011 - Proceedings of the 2011 Solutions to Coastal Disasters Conference
Historical shoreline positions along the mainland Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska were digitized and analyzed to determine the long-term rate of change. Average shoreline change rates and ranges from 1947 to the mid-2000s were determined every 50 meters between Barrow and Demarcation Point, at the U.S.-Canadian border. Results show that...
Geology and petroleum potential of the Arctic Alaska petroleum province
Kenneth J. Bird, David W. Houseknecht
2011, Geological Society Memoir 485-499
The Arctic Alaska petroleum province encompasses all lands and adjacent continental shelf areas north of the Brooks Range–Herald Arch orogenic belt and south of the northern (outboard) margin of the Beaufort Rift shoulder. Even though only a small part is thoroughly explored, it is one of the most prolific petroleum...
Status and distribution of the Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, Thomas I. van Pelt
2011, Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation (39) 13-22
The Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is a candidate species for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of its apparent declines within core population areas of coastal Alaska. During the summers of 2006-2008, we conducted surveys in marine waters adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, to estimate the...
Molecular typing of Escherichia coli strains associated with threatened sea ducks and near-shore marine habitats of south-west Alaska
Tuula E. Hollmén, Chitrita DebRoy, Paul L. Flint, David E. Safine, Jason L. Schamber, Ann E. Riddle, Kimberly A. Trust
2011, Environmental Microbiology Reports (3) 262-269
In Alaska, sea ducks winter in coastal habitats at remote, non-industrialized areas, as well as in proximity to human communities and industrial activity. We evaluated prevalence and characteristics of Escherichia coli strains in faecal samples of Steller's eiders (Polysticta stelleri; n = 122) and harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus; n = 21) at an industrialized site and Steller's eiders...
Wave climate and trends along the eastern Chukchi Arctic Alaska coast
L. H. Erikson, C. D. Storlazzi, R. E. Jensen
2011, Conference Paper, Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2011 - Proceedings of the 2011 Solutions to Coastal Disasters Conference
Due in large part to the difficulty of obtaining measurements in the Arctic, little is known about the wave climate along the coast of Arctic Alaska. In this study, numerical model simulations encompassing 40 years of wave hind-casts were used to assess mean and extreme wave conditions. Results indicate that...
An overview of the petroleum geology of the Arctic
A.M. Spencer, A.F. Embry, Donald L. Gautier, A.V. Stoupakova, K. Sorensen
2011, Geological Society Memoir 1-15
Nine main petroleum provinces containing recoverable resources totalling 61 Bbbl liquids+269 Bbbloe of gas are known in the Arctic. The three best known major provinces are: West Siberia–South Kara, Arctic Alaska and Timan–Pechora. They have been sourced principally from, respectively, Upper Jurassic, Triassic and Devonian marine source rocks and their...
Modern thermokarst lake dynamics in the continuous permafrost zone, northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska
Benjamin M. Jones, G. Grosse, C.D. Arp, M.C. Jones, Anthony K.M. Walter, V.E. Romanovsky
2011, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (116)
Quantifying changes in thermokarst lake extent is of importance for understanding the permafrost-related carbon budget, including the potential release of carbon via lake expansion or sequestration as peat in drained lake basins. We used high spatial resolution remotely sensed imagery from 1950/51, 1978, and 2006/07 to quantify changes in thermokarst...
Three-dimensional model of an ultramafic feeder system to the Nikolai Greenstone mafic large igneous province, central Alaska Range
Jonathan M.G. Glen, Jeanine M. Schmidt, G. G. Connard
2011, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (12)
The Amphitheater Mountains and southern central Alaska Range expose a thick sequence of Triassic Nikolai basalts that is underlain by several mafic‐ultramafic complexes, the largest and best exposed being the Fish Lake and Tangle (FL‐T) mafic‐ultramafic sills that flank the Amphitheater Mountains synform. Three‐dimensional (3‐D) modeling of gravity and magnetic...
Gas geochemistry of the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope: implications for gas hydrate exploration in the Arctic
T.D. Lorenson, T. S. Collett, R.B. Hunter
2011, Marine and Petroleum Geology (28) 343-360
Gases were analyzed from well cuttings, core, gas hydrate, and formation tests at the BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, drilled within the Milne Point Unit, Alaska North Slope. The well penetrated a portion of the Eileen gas hydrate deposit, which overlies the more deeply buried Prudhoe Bay,...
Sea ice loss enhances wave action at the Arctic coast
I. Overeem, R. Scott Anderson, C.W. Wobus, Gary D. Clow, Frank E. Urban, N. Matell
2011, Geophysical Research Letters (38)
Erosion rates of permafrost coasts along the Beaufort Sea accelerated over the past 50 years synchronously with Arctic‐wide declines in sea ice extent, suggesting a causal relationship between the two. A fetch‐limited wave model driven by sea ice position and local wind data from northern Alaska indicates that the exposure...
Petroleum prospectivity of the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean
Arthur Grantz, Patrick E. Hart
2011, Conference Paper, Society of Petroleum Engineers - Arctic Technology Conference 2011
Reconnaissance seismic reflection data indicate that Canada Basin is a >700,000 sq. km. remnant of the Amerasia Basin of the Arctic Ocean that lies south of the Alpha-Mendeleev Large Igneous Province, which was constructed across the northern part of the Amerasia Basin between about 127 and 89–83.5 Ma. Canada Basin...
